AboutJim Kennard Expertise I can answer questions on vegetable gardening - Raised Beds, Container, Soil-Beds, "Poor Man's Hydroponics", Organic, etc.
Experience Gardened using The Mittleider Method for 30 years. Conducted seminars, college-level training programs, produced 80 video lectures, written hundreds of gardening articles, answered thousands of gardening questions, created a gardening website www.foodforeveryone.org with free ebook, free greenhouse plans, FAQ section with 355 gardening articles.
Organizations Food For Everyone Foundation - President - Mission is "Teaching the world to grow food one family at a time."
Publications Numerous website publications
Education/Credentials Taught personally for 20 years by Dr. Jacob R. Mittleider, "The Garden Doctor", assisted him in creating and conducting major gardening training projects in America and Russia.
Awards and Honors Master Mittleider Gardening Instructor
Expert: Jim Kennard Date: 6/18/2008 Subject: Green Beans
Question Have planted a row of green beans in my small garden. They aren't coming up very well. I followed the package directions. Have two plants that are looking fairly good (leaves) The others are coming up looking like sticks and the leaves are just barely starting to show on one or two. What have I done wrong?
Answer Did you plant them into hard clay soil?
Here's how we plant been seeds:
1) Make a straight SHALLOW furrow along the sides of your soil-bed with the end of the HANDLE of your rake or hoe.
2) Place bean seeds 2" apart in the furrows.
3) Cover with 1/8-1/4" of SAND.
4) Water carefully, so as not to uncover the seeds.
5) Keep the soil MOIST - watering every day.
These procedures give your seeds the very best chance to germinate and make it into the light of day.
Beyond the actual planting, you should make sure that you apply a Pre-Plant mix of lime, magnesium (Epsom Salt), and boron (20 Mule Team Borax) in a ratio of 80-4-1, at the rate of one ounce per running foot of soil-bed. In addition apply the complete mineral nutrient mix called Weekly Feed at the rate of 1/2 ounce per foot. Then, after your plants are up, apply the Weekly Feed mix every 7 days until 3 weeks before maturity.
You can learn everything you need to know about fertilizing your garden by going to www.growfood.com and clicking on the Learn section. A free ebook called The Mittleider Gardening Basics Course is yours to study, download, etc.
