If you plan on having a year-round garden like we do here at HOSS, drip irrigation is the obvious solution in your vegetable garden. But what happens to your drip tape after you've harvested your crops? Spending the money and time replacing your drip tape is not only costly but wastes hours that could be spent in the garden...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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As many gardeners know, crop rotation is important for having healthy soil in your vegetable garden. For example, if one season you plant tomatoes, you don’t want to follow it up the next season with tomatoes because the soil will be missing the specific nutrients those tomatoes need because the previous crop has already...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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There is a common misconception that you need to have acres of land to be able to be successful growing your own food for you and your family. But what happens if you live in an apartment, only have a back porch, or just a small window ledge? Or what if your dedicated garden is already full of rows and rows of vegetables and...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The first and arguably most important reason to plant flowers in your vegetable garden is to attract pollinators. A pollinator is an insect or animal that carries pollen from male plants to female plants to aid in fertilization. These critters are attracted to the flowers in your garden and will subsequently help to pollinate your...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The best time to plant sweet corn is during the spring after the last frost date has happened. When it comes to planting sweet corn or any kind of corn variety it should be planted in blocks or squares for better pollination. Planting in blocks instead of long rows ensures that once the crop starts tasselling the wind...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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Some of the important reasons we like to hill corn is for weed control, to prop the corn up, and to create more brace roots at the bottom of the plant. Greg doesn't like to use any herbicides on his corn, therefore small weeds will begin to pop up around the corn plants which is not good. To gain weed control...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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When it comes to trellising tomato plants there are many advantages that improve the overall health of these plants. The easiest Florida weave trellis technique is used for determinate tomatoes, while tomato cages are typically used for indeterminate tomatoes in the vegetable garden. We use the...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is planting ambrosia sweet corn in the vegetable garden. Previously planted was crimson clover and Travis decided to let his chickens graze on the spot in order to clean out the area. When planting sweet corn or field corn you always want to plant it in a square plot for better...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Greg decided to plant some beet, bok choy, and broccoli transplants using the new Hoss Dibble Wheel. Back in the day, Greg just cut a stick to his desired spacing and used it to determine the spacing between each plant in the garden. However, with the new dibble wheel, it lays off the...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The biggest problem with accumulating too much rain in the garden is disease pressure. Some of the diseases that could overtake the garden include powdery mildew, fire blight, and anthracnose. However, if you monitor the garden and have a prevention plan set in place to eliminate these disease issues you...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The easiest way to maximize garden production with effective irrigation and steady water-soluble fertilizers is through the use of drip tape. Most people believe that drip tape can be used either on top or buried in the soil. However, drip tape was really made to go underneath the soil in the garden...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is demonstrating how to prepare for fall garden planting. He recently has added on a new plot for gardening and it is a 20 foot wide by around 35 feet long area. Originally this plot was just grass and in order to prepare it for planting, Travis tilled the area during the summer and since...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Greg is discussing how to build up the soil by using cover crops. The many benefits of growing cover crops are the increase of organic matter, nematode suppression, and weed control. When building up your garden soils you have to supply the best cover crop that fulfills the...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The Over The Shoulder Harvesting Bucket is by the far the best tool to use when harvesting fruits and vegetables around the homestead. It allows you to easily cut crops with one hand then harvest with the other hand. The harvesting bucket contains adjustable straps that won't cut into your skin and a padded...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is growing the easiest crops in the vegetable garden. Being apart of the Mallow family, okra is related to cotton or hibiscus and they all share similar flowers as well. It is pretty much a maintenance-free crop meaning it hardly needs any water or fertilizer to grow in the garden...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis describes the top vegetables to grow during the warmer summertime growing season. During the summertime, the weather conditions are not ideal to grow many vegetable varieties in the garden. Along with the harsh weather conditions, pest and disease pressures are unbearable...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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It is important to maintain weeds in the vegetable garden because they can ultimately overrun the entire garden area if they are not controlled. The major issue with weeds in the garden is they compete for nutrients, water, soil, and space against plants that strongly need it for growth. If the plants do...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Greg is discussing all the essentials needed to grow the best sweet corn in the garden. The three most important factors when growing the best sweet corn are pollination, irrigation, and fertilization. When it comes to planting corn it should be planted in blocks or squares because corn is pollinated...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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When growing your own food in the garden the overall goal is to produce the healthiest vegetables. In order to achieve this goal using organic disease controls and pest controls help eliminate applying harmful products on our vegetable garden area. To produce the healthiest vegetables, we need a garden that...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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There are a couple of different health benefits to growing asparagus in the vegetable garden. Like other vegetables, asparagus provides nutrients such as protein, fiber, potassium, phosphorus, folate, and a few other vitamins. As well as, a good source of antioxidants which helps protect cells from oxidative...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is planting two different varieties of beans on double rows in the vegetable garden. The first variety of bush bean is Blue Lake which is great for canning and eating fresh from the garden. The second variety is known as Green Crop Bush Bean which contains a flattened appearance...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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When using organic pest control the most important step in eliminating the pest problems is to be proactive in the garden. Greg recommends having a spray program early on to ensure that you reduce the pest issues before they over populate the vegetable garden. The benefits of using organic pest controls...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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Closely related to leeks, elephant garlic has a couple of similarities and differences when compared to regular garlic. Similar to leeks in appearance it contains a tall flowering stalk with flat leaves but has a bulb that forms large garlic-like cloves. Much like onions, the immature elephant garlic plants...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The best time to grow watermelons is during the warmer growing seasons. Watermelons can either be transplanted or direct seeded in the vegetable garden. When direct seeding we recommend planting seeds every 12 inches along the row and thin plants once they emerge to one every 2 foot. In the spring...
Posted on August 22, 2023
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The Hoss Garden is in full swing and the tomatoes are coming in strong. A couple of years ago, we installed a small greenhouse to grow our own plants. I wanted to try new varieties of tomatoes and other peppers. I had only planted Amelia's the last few years, because that's all I could get. Last year, I trialed...
Posted on August 21, 2023
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You no longer have to count on one warm season to produce all your vegetables. You can grow food year round with some of the new advances in agricultural technology. Now you can enjoy a fresh salad and other fresh veggies during the coldest winter months...
Posted on August 21, 2023
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When planting squash we recommend direct seeding seeds every 12 inches along the garden row. Squash is a crop that requires multiple harvests throughout the growing season and should be harvested every 2 or 3 days to ensure no fruits become too large and unpalatable in the garden. Travis recommends...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is trying to grow Irish potatoes in the Fall vegetable garden. The variety of potatoes Travis is planting today is Yukon Gold. Since seed potato producers do not usually have any potatoes available towards the end of August. Since that is the case, he had to buy the potatoes a couple...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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A staple crop of the South, muscadines can be used for a variety of ways such as fresh off the vine or used in the kitchen to make jelly, cobblers, and wine. The muscadines do best in warmer climates where temperatures don't get below 10 degrees. Therefore they do best in the south and not as good in the...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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The most beneficial benefit when growing sweet potatoes is the variety of vitamins and minerals the crop provides. Another benefit of growing sweet potatoes in the garden is the ability to produce a maximum yield of crops that will ultimately store for a long period of time on the homestead. Also, after...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is explaining how to grow maximum yields of carrots in the vegetable garden. For about three years, Travis has tried a particular technique when growing carrots that has done extremely well. The guide to planting carrots is finding the perfect time to plant them in the garden...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis explains the important tips for growing the best onions in the garden. When it comes to growing the big softball sized onions there two very important tips to consider during this process. The first important key tip to consider is the time of planting in the garden. When it comes to...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis goes over the most essential tools needed for growing a vegetable garden. When thinking about the various tools that we have available, Travis narrowed it down to the top five that he believes are necessary and essential to have a successful garden...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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There are many different advantages to both the single and double wheel hoe. However, when it comes to what you need to do in the vegetable garden this will help determine which is the best wheel hoe for you. Each Hoss Wheel Hoe has a frame made of powder-coated steel, a 15-inch steel wheel and Amish-crafted...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is demonstrating how to plant the easiest potatoes in the vegetable garden. In the South, the ideal potato planting time is around the middle to end of February. Typically, potatoes need to be planted anywhere from two to three weeks before the last frost date. Travis always...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is discussing the needed time frame of growing vegetables in a garden. When keeping everything maintained, growing, and harvested it can all depend on the size of your vegetable garden and what crops are planted. Travis is going to give a personal example of how long it takes him...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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On this week's episode, Travis is discussing whether you need to make garden rows or not using the plow set. When the Plow Set attachment is hooked up to the Wheel Hoe will it create an elevated planting surface to plant seeds? Yes, it can make a garden row when they are positioned in the furrowing or hilling...
Posted on August 18, 2023
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