It was 10 years ago that Mark McOmber installed a wood chip demonstration garden for the documentary BACK TO EDEN. During the last decade, Mark has grown his own vegetables and fruits while practicing the Back to Eden Gardening method. Today, Mark is launching his own YouTube channel where he will be uploading videos about "Living Life" and resting with God in the home and garden! 
Watch the first video uploaded by Mark that shows how the soil has completely transformed in the last 10 years. Personally, I got goosebumps! Trust me, you have to see this! In this 25-minute video Mark also shares a plethora of gardening tips that he has learned over the years -- from DIY planting tools to teaching what wood chips are best to use in your garden.

If you have any questions, contact Mark McOmber who will answer any questions you may have!

On the East Coast, Mark McOmber who was featured in the documentary Back to Eden is growing the most epic watermelons. Mark's favorite heirloom varieties of watermelon is Crimson Sweet. After 10 years of Back to Eden gardening with wood chips, Mark harvested a 56 pound Crimson Sweet watermelon! Watch Mark's video to learn how to harvest watermelons, cantaloupes, and honeydew. 

Growing cucumbers in your vegetable garden can be super beneficial to your health. Since they are 95% water, they keep your body hydrated and help regulate the body's inner temperature during those hot summers! They are high in potassium, fiber, and vitamin C. They love the warm summer weather and rich soil so plant accordingly based on your location.

Should you trellis your cucumber plants? Some gardeners swear by using a trellis and others aren’t worried about saving space. We are trying both ways this year and don’t think there is a right or wrong way! However, it is very important to make sure you don’t miss picking a cucumber because your plant won’t continue to produce if one is left on the vine past its due date!

How do you grow a straight cucumber? It is important that your cucumbers are properly pollinated. If they are improperly pollinated they will curl instead of growing straight. Make sure to water the base of the plant, do not water from above! This will keep water out of your blossoms. If you don't have a lot of pollinators, we recommend pollinated by hand. There is both a male and female flower that grows on a cucumber plant. It is easy to take a male flower and pollinate the female flower to insure proper pollination! 

How do you harvest a cucumber? Check on your plant daily for your cucumber to grow to the size recommend for its variety. We recommend using a Felco pruning shears to harvest cucumbers. Cucumber plants do not like when you pull on them so the Felco pruning shears is a gentle way to get a clean cut. Make sure to cut the stem, not the vine! 

How do you know when an heirloom tomato is ripe? First, you want a deep color and shiny skin. Second, it should be easy to remove from the vine. I always gently tug it from where there is a natural line showing a break in the vine. If it hangs on, it isn’t ready. Lastly the smell and taste should be strong of tomato!  

Are your tomatoes still green? If you are feeling impatient, do not remove leaves to expose the tomato to the sunlight because that is not how tomatoes ripen. Tomatoes ripen form the inside out. They ripen when lycopene, carotene, and pigments responsible for giving the fruit their typical orange to red appearance is released. This occurs when the temperature is approximately 70 to 75 degrees Fahrenfeit. When temperatures exceed 85 degrees to 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the ripening process slows significantly or even stops. The best thing you can do is be patient and wait for optimal temperatures for ripening! It is hard to be patient but it was worth the wait!

Do all tomatoes ripen at the same rate? No! Cherry tomatoes and early varieties ripen at a much quicker rate than larger varieties. So just keep checking on your tomato plants daily to see which tomatoes are ripe!

Once your tomatoes are ripe consider purchasing a GLOBAL Chef Knife so that your sharp knife cuts through your tomatoes skin like butter! Enjoy!