Author: Munya Chinongoza

Over 45 million tonnes of greenhouse gases are produced every year from the burning of diesel in trucks. Of course we are trying to find new creative ways to save our environment and one way to do this is to use vegetable oil as a renewable source of fuel for transportation and also the use of heating.

There are so many benefits of using this source to replace fossil fuels and some of these include reduced air pollution, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and conservation of limited fossil fuels. There are two different ways that you can use vegetable oil as a fuel in engines.

The first way is that you can use straight vegetable oil either waste frying oil or fresh- pressed oil, however you will need an extra fuel tank and a system for heating and filtering the oil before it reaches the engine. The reason why you will need this is because pure vegetable oil is too thick to work in the engine unless the oil is heated up.

The other way is to simply convert the vegetable oil into biodiesel which can be used in a diesel engine without any modifications. Biodiesel is a fuel source made from vegetable oil when a chemical reaction occurs between methanol and lye. It can be created either from using waste vegetable oil from the food industry, or you have the other option of using it from fresh-pressed vegetable oil.

This is something that is now being made to sell commercially in thousands of countries all around the world, however with the right equipment and enough time it can also be made right at home. Some of the toxic air pollutants that are reduced include soot, particulates, carbon monoxide, and sulphur oxides, however nitrous oxide emissions may increase slightly.

Author: prabakar

Healthful eating is never so easy as it is in the spring. With fresh fruits and vegetables flourishing, you only need minimal preparation to bring out maximum flavor. From salads to sides, entrées to desserts, here is a collection of our wholesome springtime favorites.

Fresh fruits and vegetables are healthy in part because they contain phytochemicals, or beneficial compounds, such as beta-carotene, folate, and lycopene, which aid in the prevention of cancer. There is truth to the old “apple a day” adage, though this time of year, think seasonally and make it a “strawberry” or “artichoke” a day…. Beyond having weight-watching benefits, a diet plentiful in fruits and vegetables decreases your risk of stroke and heart attack, helps lower blood pressure, and even guards against eye disease.

Spring favorites asparagus and artichokes are often associated with rich, luxurious menus, but they’re also incredibly healthy: They are both excellent sources of fiber and contain a host of nutrients, including vitamins C, K, and folate. “Asparagus is a particularly well-rounded vegetable, nutritionally speaking,” says Monica Reinagel, chief nutritionist for our sister site NutritionData.com, writing in Epicurious and NutritionData’s joint newsletter Healthy Dinner Tonight. “It’s high in antioxidants A, C, and E, as well as vitamin K (for healthy bones), and has an array of B vitamins for energy.”

Eat plenty of green leafy vegetables, at least two to three servings every day. They are loaded with the absorbable calcium, iron, and many vitamins that children need. Have plenty of other vegetables, too, selecting the freshest organic vegetables at a farmer’s market or a local garden or, if you can, grow your own. It helps to offer more than one vegetable at a meal and to avoid pushing children to eat vegetables they do not care for. Overall, vegetables should make up 25 to 30 percent of the diet. For more details visit www.indomunch.com

Author: Christopher Jay

Haven’t you always wanted better, fresher, more colorful vegetables from your neighborhood market? You can only guess what those old veggies have been through before their arrival at the store. It’s hard to imagine what type of chemicals were used to keep them fresh for weeks at a time and then you’re going to bring these into your home where they may sit in your fridge for another week. How much more can a lowly vegetable endure before it starts to rot?

There is a way around this and it’s just a perfect idea for the health conscious person… an indoor vegetable garden will satisfy that desire for pure, clean, unadulterated, fresh tasting salad or steamed veggies. You can grow these right in your own kitchen with all the available tools out there.

It doesn’t take an agricultural degree to produce vegetables from an indoor vegetable garden; there is tons of information available to assist you along the way. What a great feeling to offer your family safe wholesome food you produced with your new hobby. The tools are available to produce an indoor vegetable garden your own. You can have an indoor vegetable garden on your balcony, (weather permitting) a bright sunny spot in the corner of a room or on a window sill.

You Can Grow A Wide Variety of Produce With An Indoor Vegetable Garden

Your vegetables can be planted in all sorts of containers and areas where that corner needs to be filled. Choose colors to compliment your home and make your indoor vegetable garden blend in with the rest of your living space. Take some measurements of the locations you plan to place the indoor garden and make sure it is the maximum measurement. This way you won’t inadvertently purchase a container too big for the space you have.

The lists of containers you can use are limitless. Try using a decorative sheet metal pail, clay pots and even plastic jugs. One of my favorites is the old soup stock pots, these really go well with a kitchen indoor vegetable garden. Just use your imagination and enjoy your new found hobby. Remember, you will be able to grow your vegetables throughout the year, there are no seasons indoors.

Take a trip to the local nursery and explain to the staff that you are starting an indoor vegetable garden; you’ll be surprised how much help they will offer. Carrots, radishes, tomatoes and a multitude of other vegetables are well suited for indoor gardening. Make sure to ask about plants and seeds that are specially designed for indoor container gardening. If you’re worried about lighting there are many types of fixtures designed for indoor growing. Above all else, enjoy your new indoor vegetable garden hobby. Your body will appreciate it.

Author: Andrew Bicknell

Learning how to plant a vegetable garden is not hard, but without careful planning and proper follow through, your garden may perform poorly. If done correctly it pays off with big benefits in so many ways. Before you know it you will be picking perfectly ripe, perfectly delicious tomatoes without having to wonder what chemicals went into growing them.

The most important part of successful gardening is to properly prepare the soil. A routine soil test gives information on any lime requirement, phosphorous and potassium needs and estimated nitrogen requirements. A good soil mixture contains two parts loam, one parts and, and one part organic matter and many pre-mixed soil mixtures are available at garden centers. When manure is added to the soil, it must be composted prior to planting, because fresh, hot manure will also burn your plants. Vegetables need a lot of nutrition to grow well, so the better you prepare the soil before planting, the better chances you have of producing a bountiful crop. For information on soil testing, call your local county extension educator or the local university soil testing laboratory.

Planting a vegetable garden is not hard, but without careful planning and proper follow through, your garden may perform poorly. Tilling the soil in late fall facilitates earlier spring planting. Cool versus warm planting periods are determined by your choice of cool-season vegetables and warm-season vegetables.

Successful vegetable gardening involves far more than just popping a few seeds into the ground and waiting for a tomato to appear. When sowing your seeds stretch a string between the two stakes you set to mark the row, or use a straight piece of lumber, and use it as a guide to open a ‘V’ shaped furrow with the corner of your hoe. Tear the corner of the seed package off and use your finger to tap the package lightly as you move down the row, carefully distributing the seeds evenly. Larger type seeds may be placed individually in the row. You will want to plant extra seeds in each row to allow for failed germination, and for thinning. Cover the seeds with fine soil (no clods or rocks). After the seeds sprout, the weaker seedlings should be pinched off to give the rest enough room to grow.

Vegetables that are leaves or stems, such as cabbages and onions, can usually be harvested over a long period as they are needed. Vegetables that are the fruit of the plant, such as peas, beans and tomatoes, should be picked every two or three days to get them when they are first ripe. Any vegetable garden should receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight during the day and grow best on soil that is well drained. Vegetable gardens do not always have to be laid out in large plots in the backyard; you can grow them nearly anywhere as long as all their growing conditions are met and your choice of plants will be largely determined by the likes and dislikes of your family. If the same garden plot is used for vegetables for many years, your crops should be rotated, so that each type of vegetable is in a different position during the following season.

Planting a vegetable garden is hard work but for both the beginner and experienced gardener the rewards can be delicious.

Author: Abhishek Agarwal

Vegetable gardening can be done at many different locations in Texas with great success. The climatic conditions in Texas are also most apt for the growth of various types of vegetables. Owing to a long growth season, Texas is the just the right place to start with vegetable gardening hobby without much disappointment. So, irrespective of your expertise level, you can hone and improve your vegetable gardening skills constantly in Texas.

What makes Texas the best place for vegetable gardening?

There are few significant factors that go into making Texas the best place for vegetable gardening. First is the amount of sunlight available in this region. Barring a few plants that grow the best in shades, we all will agree with the importance of sunlight for the growth of majority of plants. This essential nutrient is available in abundance in Texas. Second is the quality of air in Texas. Moving away a little further from the cities, one can find the freshest quality of air, most optimum for vegetable gardening.

Thirdly, the type of soil in Texas is best for vegetable growth. In fact, in certain areas, you can observe that the farmers don’t even add any kind of fertilizers and nutrients to the soil and still are able to reap a rich harvest. The soil here is significantly rich in natural minerals and nutrients as compared to other parts of US. The long growth season also plays a significant role in making Texas vegetable gardening popular. In winters, the temperatures are moderate enough to pose no substantial impediment to the plants growth. Thus one can indulge in vegetable gardening hobby almost all round the year in Texas.

However, one of the flip sides of practicing vegetable gardening in Texas is the moisture level of the soil. Since the sun is too kind on Texas, some of the areas are left too dry and challenging for farmers to maintain the wetness levels of the soil. Nevertheless, technology has come to the rescue of the farmers in the form of soaker hoses that can be used to water all the areas of the garden properly. One can even resort to plain old watering methods to maintain optimum levels of soil wetness.

Overall, Texas provides the most appropriate conditions for vegetable gardening. Thus, if vegetable gardening is on your mind, prepare well in advance and make a good plan about how you will use the advantages in Texas to cultivate a great produce. It may be a better idea to start with your favorite vegetables to keep you motivated. There are enough resources available online to help you get started with Texas vegetable gardening.

Author: Abhishek Agarwal

If you are contemplating vegetable gardening in the fall, there are loads of amazing benefits to be reaped from this form of gardening. People in search of ways to lengthen the form of gardening they are interested in can take into account this gardening form. What does vegetable gardening involve?

In brief, this is a form of gardening, which will help extend the cultivation season. You can now plant additional vegetables, capable of withstanding cold weather for an extended period, in the summer, which can be harvested in the fall. This is a process, which guarantees that you have ample supply of fresh vegetables throughout the year from your very own garden.

Key Factors

1. A number of crucial factors have to be borne in mind regarding vegetable gardening in the fall. In the first place, you need to know the kind of vegetables you wish to grow in this garden type. You can choose to grow Brussels sprouts, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and other vegetables. Lettuces tend to take to fall weather much better than the summer season. However, in order to get the best out of vegetable gardening in the fall, you will be required to know what exactly makes this type tick.

2. An important issue to consider when planning on vegetable gardening in autumn is to draw up a schedule well ahead of time. As many vegetables need a minimum of a month and a half to mature, you will need equal time to savor the maximum gains from the plants in autumn. This indicates that you should prepare the ground for your autumn vegetable gardening site by early August in case you are residing in a warm region. On the other hand, in a cool cultivating season, you should plan to plant as early as July.

3. To recognize the right time to plant, you should be aware of when exactly is the average frost date. This is to ensure that the plants are provided with sufficient time to grow before the frost sets in. In certain parts of the country, the frost may occur in early October whereas in other regions it takes place around November end.

In the case of vegetable gardening in the fall, implementing the right strategy holds the key to accomplishing your goal. Take time out looking for the right kind of vegetables to plant in your site.

Establish the frost dates and prudently schedule your planting operations around them to make certain the plants have ample time before the frost arrives.

Revel in the thought of enjoying the benefits of fresh vegetables from your garden for an extended period. Vegetable gardening in the fall is highly satisfying, affordable and a worthwhile venture, that sadly is not taken up by more number of people.

Author: Harry Nack

Vegetable gardening has lately become just as popular as driving to the grocery store for vegetables. Vegetable gardening can produce a vegetable that are generally cheaper than when bought in a grocery store, and veggies from a home vegetable garden are certainly better tasting by far. Vegetable gardening is equivalent to growing plants or flowers and if the correct steps are used and the plants are given the right care they’ll grow and develop into very tasty veggies.The First thing you will have to decide how much space you’re willing to utilize for your vegetable garden and then choose a spot in your backyard, in a place that has a good drainage, good air flow, and good deep ground.

As you might know, vegetable gardens have a lot of delicious rewards, a lot of animals, such as birds, rabbits, insects and many others will take a opportunity to take some of your veggies. The way to prevent this is to setup a fence round your garden, or put out a trap to catch the mice, insects and other animals.If you start planting, “remember” the ground must be decently prepared. Good ground for vegetable gardening is accomplished by cultivation and the use of organic materials. The ground must be tilled to control weeds and mix mulch in the ground. Whenever you’ve a little garden, spading could be a more effective choice than tilling (plowing).

Mulching is also a essential piece of ground preparation. Organic material added to the ground releases nitrogen, minerals, and supplemental nutrients plants need to grow. The most general and most effective sort of mulch you can use is compost. Though the type and amount of plant food used depends on the ground and the sorts of plants, there are a some plants that have individual wants; leafy plants, such as cabbage, spinach, and lettuce commonly grow stronger with a good amount of nitrogen, when root crops such as potatoes, beets, and carrots demand more potassium hydroxide. Tomatoes and beans are accustomed to a lesser amount of the plant food, when plants like onions, celery, and potatoes need a bigger amount.

The one thing that is vitally significant in vegetable gardening is how the garden is arranged, there’s not a single plant that will grow in every garden due to varying circumstances. The way to arrange a vegetable garden is to plant veggies requiring only a modest distance together, such as radishes, beets, and spinach, and those that need a lot of room together, such as maize, pumpkins, and potatoes. Try and place the big growing plants toward the back of the vegetable garden and the smaller ones in the front so that their sun doesn’t get blocked.

When you are finally done to start setting up your vegetable garden, be sure that you plant at the correct season. If you are dying to get an quick start, you might need to begin your vegetable garden inside in a hotbed and then move when the outside conditions permits it. Whenever you are finished with planting, be sure your veggies pick up the right amount of water, which depends on the sort of plant or veggie.

Vegetable gardening is for numerous people a favorite sort of gardening because you can really taste the fruits of your efforts. Vegetable gardening isn’t that pricey to start and the taste of home grown veggies definitely defeat the supermarket veggies.

Author: Anna Hart

Growing organic vegetables from seed is a great way to combine healthy diet and healthy exercise. Most people want to start small, but maybe you already did that. Maybe you loved your small organic garden so much you decided to expand it into a small farm. Perhaps you and your friends have set aside land for a community garden, and need bulk organic vegetable seed to share. Maybe you’ve decided to begin marketing bulk organic vegetable seeds.

You have several potential sources for bulk organic vegetable seeds. We cannot recommend any one specific source, and offer the information below only to help you in your search.

Local Nursery or Garden Store

Nurseries near your home may sell bulk organic vegetable seed. Check your local phone directory, and call a few. If they themselves do not carry bulk organic vegetable seed, they may be able to tell you who does.

Garden stores in your area are another potential source of bulk organic vegetable seed. Home centers that sell supplies for home repairs often have a section for gardening. Large, discount box stores usually have garden centers, too. If you live in a rural area, you may find bulk organic vegetable seed at a farm supply store. Again, ask for referrals if the store does not have what you need.

Seed Catalogs

You may be able to order bulk organic vegetable seed from seed catalogs, and have it delivered to your address. Companies such as Burpee Seed Company have many kinds of organic vegetable seed in their catalog, and will no doubt be able to fill your order for bulk organic vegetable seed.

Online Seed Companies

The Internet, a potential source for so many things, has several seed companies that offer bulk organic vegetable seed. While we make no recommendation

1. Seeds of Change is a well known supplier of quality bulk organic vegetable seed. Many who do organic farming, or have large organic gardens, rely on this seed company.

2. Snow Seed Organics in California is another company you may want to check for bulk organic vegetable seed. The website says this company is the first fully certified organic seed dealer west of the U.S. Rockies.

3. Johnny’s Seed Company has been selling bulk organic vegetable seed and organic farming aids since 1973. This company also is a certified organic handler and processor, able to meet the new USDA organic requirements for the organic seeds they sell.

Those are only examples. There are many companies online from whom you can order bulk organic vegetable seed, and have it delivered - often free of charge - but study each site carefully, and look for recommendations in online forums.

CAUTION:

Before you purchase any bulk organic vegetable seed, you should be sure it is certified organic. You will want to ask about the supplier’s documentation, including organic certification. This will differ from country to country.

In the U.S., ask for: the grower’s certification number; issue date of certification; date when the annual inspection was completed; name of the inspecting company; and name of the certification director. Some companies, such as Seeds of Change post their Organic Certification online.

Before you purchase bulk organic vegetable seed, be sure the grower can warrant the absence of transgenic germplasm. That is, have they proven to the certification director that they have not genetically modified the seed?

Author: Anna Hart

Do you know what vegetables to buy organic and what is not worth the trouble?

Organic vegetables are wonderful, and well worth their price, say some. Growing your own organic vegetables is best, of course. You feel safer knowing exactly what was used on your vegetables before they got to your table. But if you cannot grow your own organic vegetables, the argument goes, it is worth the trouble to find a store or farmers’ market where you can buy them. So let’s suppose you take that trouble. Let’s suppose you find a source of organic vegetables.

Do you know what vegetables to buy organic? Are all organic vegetables worth the higher price?

Organic vegetables that are certified organic under U.S. Dept. of Agriculture regulations must be produced without most synthetic pesticides, synthetic fertilizers, antibiotics, growth hormones, and feed made from animal parts.

Organic certification sounds like something most of us would want, but is it always necessary? Is it worth the extra money?

What Vegetables to Buy Organic

These 5 organic vegetables are usually worth the higher prices, since conventionally grown versions contain high amounts of pesticide residues.

1. Green beans: Conventionally grown green Beans can contain three organophosphates that are toxic to the nervous system: acephate, dimethoate and methamidophos. They can also contain endosulfan, an insecticide that disrupts endocrine secretion.

2. Potatoes: Non-organic potatoes are increasingly being exposed to pesticides, according to the Consumers Union. These potatoes may contain dieldrin and methamidophos. While this is bad enough for adults, children who eat potatoes are at risk for a high dose of aldicarb, a pesticide that pervades the inside of the potato.

3. Spinach: Spinach is ahead of all foods when it comes to DDT. Other pesticide residues are claimed to be falling as U.S. farmers are learning to use less quantities of synthetic insecticides. Nevertheless, spinach still can contain permethrin and dimethoate. Permethrin is thought to be potentially cancer-causing.

4. Tomatoes: Tomatoes grown by conventional means have been found high in chlorpyrifos. Chlorpyrifos, also known as Lorsban for farm use and Dursban for home use, is the most heavily used insecticide in the United States.

5. Winter Squash: When tested, two-thirds of winter squash samples exceeded the safe daily limit for a young child of Dieldrin, a chlorinated, carcinogenic insecticide. Heptachlor, another powerful carcinogen was also found. Winter squash in baby food contained DDT.

What Fruits to Buy Organic

Organic vegetables are only part of the picture when it comes to produce. Organic vegetables are often peeled and cooked before eating. Organic fruits are often eaten unpeeled, especially by young children. Young children also consume much greater amounts of fresh fruit per pound of body weight than do adults. The pesticides are concentrated more highly in children.

So while you’re thinking about what vegetables to buy organic, you should also consider these 7 fruits.

1. Apples: Apples can contain methyl parathion. Whether fresh apples, applesauce, or baby food, they can also contain chlorpyrifos.

2. Cantaloupe: Like tomatoes, cantaloupes grown by conventional means have been found high in chlorpyrifos.

3. Grapes: Imported grapes can contain dimethoate. Grapes grown in the U.S. contain methomyl and methyl parathion. Methomyl is a carbamate insecticide listed as an endocrine disruptor.

4. Peaches: Peaches are perhaps the worst of all fruits when grown conventionally. They contain high amounts of iprodione residue, classified by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a probable human carcinogen. Peaches also contain methyl parathion, an organophosphate insecticide.

5. Pears: All conventionally grown pears, whether fresh or in baby food, can contain methyl parathion, as well as other insecticide residues.

6. Raspberries: Organic raspberries may be expensive, but you will be avoiding the fungicide captan, iprodione and carbaryl.

7. Strawberries: If you go for the beautiful red color of conventionally grown strawberries, you should know that it is caused by the fungicide captan, believed to be a possible human.

What Organic Vegetables Should You Buy?

Some organic vegetables are probably not worth the extra cost. When organic vegetables and fruits pose a health risk high enough to be listed by Consumers Union, however, you may want to take notice.

Author: Jason Anderson

Companion planting in your vegetable garden is a great way to increase the size of the crop you will have when it comes time to harvest. The right combination of vegetables planted together improves growth, reduces disease, encourages beneficial insects to thrive in the garden, and discourages pests.

But companion planting vegetables does have it’s drawbacks, as some vegetables are much more fussy than others about who they are planted next to. This simple guide will help you with a few of the more common combinations you should keep in mind when companion planting vegetables.

Asparagus get on well with most vegetables, but their ideal companions are tomato, parsley and basil.

Bush beans like potatoes, cucumber, corn, strawberries and celery, but hate onions. On the other hand, pole beans are a little more selective - they only like corn and radishes, and hate beets as well as onions.

The cabbage family (broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower and kale to name a few) like many companions - beet, celery, cucumber, lettuce, onion, potatoes and spinach. But they have a few hates as well - dill, strawberries, pole beans and tomatoes.

Carrots get on well with a wide variety of vegetables - peas, lettuce, rosemary, onions, sage and tomatoes. Just keep them away from dill.

Celery is also a very accepting vegetable, liking onions, the cabbage family, tomatoes and bush beans. Like asparagus, they don’t hate any vegetables.

Keep your corn away from tomatoes, but to keep it happy plant it near potatoes, beans, peas, pumpkins, cucumber and squash.

Cucumber doesn’t like being near aromatic herbs or potatoes, but plant it near beans, corn or peas and it will be happy.

Lettuce is an accepting plant, not hating any vegetables but appreciating being planted next to carrots, strawberries and cucumbers.

Onions generally like being planted next to beets, carrots, lettuce and the cabbage family, but keep them away from beans and peas if you want good results.

Peas like being planted next to carrots, turnips, cucumbers, corn and beans, but be sure to not plant them near onions or potatoes.

Speaking of potatoes, you should plant them near beans, corn and members of the cabbage family for best results, and make sure they are away from pumpkins, squash, tomatoes and cucumbers.

Finally the humble tomato - one of the more popular summer vegetables for the gardener to grow. For the best results plant them near onions, asparagus, carrots, parsley or cucumbers, but keep them well away from potatoes or members of the cabbage family.

This isn’t a fully comprehensive list - obviously there are many more types of vegetables available for you to plant in your vegetable garden, and this article could easily double or triple in size if we tried to include everything. But this list of the more common vegetables should be a good start in helping you plan the layout of your vegetable garden for the next year.

So give companion planting in your vegetable garden a try. You’ll find you’ll have happier, healthier plants in your vegetable garden, which in turn will give you tastier vegetables to feed you and your family.