Tippy Runs all over town...
Tippy Runs All Over Town
From a previous story Run Tippy Run, Tippy discovered the health benefits of growing, and eating ORGANIC vegetables. He was determined to spread the word to anyone that will listen. Tippy, began teaching how easy ORGANIC gardening really is. He introduced an Easy 7 Step Gardening Guide for Beginners. This story contain gardening tips for the more intermediate, and advanced gardeners.
Parents, and grand-parents can read to young children, and have the story serves as a catalysts to a summer of garden activities. A great story combined with indoor-outdoor physical activity.
Encourage Gardening
Tippy tells all citizens... they can grow safe, pure, organic vegetables.
Growing vegetables is one of the most rewarding activities you can involve yourself in. Pluck right off the vine, and then bite into a fresh big red juicy tomato is a thrill in itself; sprinkling a little salt will greatly enhance the flavor. You will experience a freshness unparalleled found in any grocery store.
TIP: Latest research strongly suggests that soil bacteria can make a person who get their hands dirty, feel happier.
“You can grow your way to better health!” Tippy says.
Grow Your Way to Better Health
SO, gardening is not only, fun, good exercise, and tasty; we also discover that rich BLACK DIRT has beneficial attributes.
There are lots of seed and catalog companies; you can find a wide variety of vegetables to suite almost any taste. Be sure to experiment with heirloom (old fashion) varieties of different vegetables.
TIP: There are over 25000 tomato varieties!
TIP: There
Growing vegetables is one of the most rewarding activities you can involve yourself in. Pluck right off the vine, then bite into a fresh big red juicy tomato is a thrill in itself; sprinkling a little salt will greatly enhance the flavor. You will experience a freshness unparalleled found in any grocery store.
TIP:
Latest research strongly suggests that soil bacteria can make a person who get’s their hands dirty, feel happier.
Growing vegetables is one of the most rewarding activities you can involve yourself in. Pluck right off the vine, then bite into a fresh big red juicy tomato is a thrill in itself; sprinkling a little salt will greatly enhance the flavor. You will experience a freshness unparalleled found in any grocery store.
TIP:
Latest research strongly suggests that soil bacteria can make a person who get’s their hands dirty, feel happier.
“More green, better health! ” Tippy states.
Designing Your Garden
DESIGNING YOUR GARDEN: Start small (100 square feet), look around for a suitable site; shade for cucumbers, full sun for tomatoes. Typically think rectangles; certain shapes make for easy planning, and maintenance.
TIP: You will improve your design and site selection skills as you gain more experience.
“The more veggies, the less chance of illness.”
Bigger Veggies, Prevent Diabetes
TYPE OF GARDENS: In addition to planning a garden, here are a few other options...Container garden, raised bed, indoor garden, vertical gardening or simply use a windowsill for raising herbs?
TIP: A large array of strategically placed flower pots can serve your gardening needs.
PencilTown rather write stories than do anything else.
No Time for Gardening - Rather Write
Citizens use every excuse, so they could write all day.
Every excuse from Sir Excuse
“Gardens now, or doctors later.” Tippy quotes.
Doctor or Gardening?
Write Story about Gardening
“Hey kid, why not write a story about gardening?”
“Can you teach me?” Sir Excuse asks.
I Don’t Know Much about Gardening
“I will teach you everything g-One taught me.”
I Will Teach You
“Fresh rain makes a healthier plant.”
Before a Soft Rain
“g-One explains why only organic grown food is safe.”
Organic Gardening
“There are only seven basic steps to gardening.”
Seven Steps
“The seven gardening steps are...”
Gardening Seven Steps
“I will cover ONE STEP at a time.”
Gardening Seven Steps
“Get an early start by geminating seeds indoors.”
Step One - Germination
STARTING FROM SEED: Get a 2-3 months head start on the growing season by germinating seeds indoors while it is still cold outdoors. When it is time for planting, you have a jump start by planting seedling plants vs starting from seeds. You can cut your planting by as much as two months.
TIP: Use fine well aerated growing medium.
TIP: You can also water seeds from the bottom by soaking in larger tray of water.
A seed needs three things to grow...
What a Seed Needs
KEEP CONSTANT: It’s easy to start seeds:
a. Keep at constant 70 Degrees
b. Hang pair fluorescent lights overhead for 16h/d
c. Keep soil moist; prevent roots from drying out
TIP: Use a spray bottle to mist on the soil.
TIP: 1 Coolwhite, 1 Redlight tube from hardware.
TIP: Set lights on automatic timer to turn on & off.
TIP: If seeds get to little light, they will stretch; maintain lights 2-3” above plants.
It won’t take long, before seedlings sprout leaves.
Seedling in 3-6 Weeks
FAST GROWING: Baby leaves will appear in a couple weeks. A typical tomato plant can grow about an eight of an inch each day.
What is hardening off?
Hardening Off
ACCLIMATE: A “Hardening off” process will acclimate the young seedlings from their ideal indoor growing conditions, for the more unpredictable harsh outdoor weather. Too much direct sun, can burn the young leaves, cold temperature, and wind, can stunt the growth of the plant, too much water, and plants can suffer root rot, or get washed away.
TIP: Find a protected area near the house, or place tray under a canopy outside for a 2-4 hours per day. Repeat 7-14 days.
Can’t I just stick my seedlings in the dirt?
Loosen the Soil
PREPARE SOIL FOR PLANTING: The idea is to create a fine texture, or loose and crumbly soil. Turn the soil, to find, and remove any large rocks, debris, roots, weeds or branches.
TIP: Healthy loose rich soil is the foundation for healthy plants. The looser the soil, the easier roots move through the dirt. The deeper the roots, the stronger, and bigger the plant.
All plants need is dirt, and water right?
Feed the Plants
ORGANIC FERTILIZER: Use a fertilizer like cow manure to add nutrients to the soil. Use can also use sheep manure, blood meal, soybean meal etc., depending on what vegetables you plan to grow. And don’t forget to always add generous amounts of organiccompost to maintain soil nutrients levels.
When the weather gets warm, it’s time to plant.
Time to Plant Seedlings
TRANSPLANT TO THE GARDEN: You’ve maintained your indoor germination chamber, with seedlings getting taller, and roots rapidly expanding to fill the tray, after about 6-10 weeks, you have hardened the young plants off, enriched the soil, it is time to plant those seedlings into the garden. Carefully remove and plant into the dirt one at a time. About 12-24 inches apart to give each other room to expand.
TIP: Pre-water the hole with a fertilizer solution to provide immediate moisture, and nutrients to the plants rooting system for a good start in the new garden, and reduce transplant shock.
Water plants during, and after planting.
Time to Water
KEEP GARDEN WATERED: Not so much so as to flood the young plants out their holes, or to much to cause root rot. But just enough to keep roots moist and from drying out. There is no set time to water a garden. Watering is governed more by observation, to much heat or wind can cause more dryness thus require more frequent watering.
TIP 1: DANGER OF THE FROST - Some morning might present an overnight frost on leaves of tender plants. Don’t panic, just wash the frost off BEFORE sunrise. It is not the frost that kills the plant, but the interaction of sunlight and frost that kills.
TIP 2: MULCH - sprinkle some mulch on top of ground to help hold the moisture.
Keep soil weed free, after planting.
Cultivate
WEEDING: Do not let annual weeds mature and go to seed. Be vigilant, keep your garden weed free! Constant cultivation will keep weed population in retreat. This is another good reason beginner gardeners should start small.
TIP: There are many tools at a gardeners disposal; short hand held, or long handles. Optionally, you can lay a generous amount of solid ground covers in-between plant rows (blocked sunlight, kill the weeds). Weeding is another perfect time for a little soil therapy for you and your kids.
Use safe natural pest control.
Pest Control
PEST CONTROL: It’s a given that insects are attracted to vegetable plant leaves. Again, don’t panic. A few tricks can go a long way toward giving in a little to Mother Nature (let insects have their share), and still reap the rewards of a good harvest.
TIP: Some organic gardeners will use homemade water bottles filled with crushed garlic spray to ward off insects. Others maintain a concoction of chili pepper sprays, cayenne peppers, onions, the list goes. Experiment yourself and see if you can discover a better homemade bug spray. Be preemptive, spray BEFORE insects arrive. Spray both top and bottom of leaves to help prevent a large insect infestation.
Start to harvest in as early as six weeks.
Harvest Time
That’s everything you need to know about gardening.
That’s It!
“This sounds easy,” Sir Excuse says.
Sounds like Fun
SO, this summer Sir Excuse plants an organic garden...
In Two Months
Sir wrote many good stories, including this one. 
Sir Wrote Many Books
Half of what you eat should be green foods.
Every Meal - Is Half Vegetables
Grow more green, eat more green, better health.
Final Choice
Remember the 4 Basics to Life Long Health
4 Basics
The End
Copyrights
DayStarBooks: H is for Gardening
Copyright © 1988-2010
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced
without written consent from the author.
Based on original characters
created and illustrated by Ike Austin.
Story Summary: Series 2 – Outgrow Diabetes.
Help kids draw their future without diabetes.
Printed in the United States of America.
For information,
www.daystarbooks.com
7 Step Gardening Guide for Beginners