Plants and stone always look great together, so it is often a top choice for hillside beds less than 18 inches (45cm) high. Measuring a slope's rise and run is a first step in creating a hillside garden Don't take on too much at first, because most terraced...
Deadhead Bed for Flowers and Herbs As you clean up after tired flowers and herbs, you will encounter mature seeds. A sharp manual lawn edger will take down most cool-season cover crops in a matter of minutes.
There are some reliable methods to ripen green tomatoes at the end of the season. Secure it at the sides with rocks or bricks. Alternatively, assuming your back's up to it and you're feeling strong, you could yank at the central stem to tear some (but...
Consider cutting back overhanging foliage and act promptly to remove spent crops so that those remaining enjoy plenty of sunshine and good air circulation. It's naturally full of potassium, which fruit and pod-bearing plants love.
Hold your nerve, and if your predatory platoon of frogs, hoverflies, ladybugs and so on is in place, you can achieve, if not an outright conquest, then at least peaceable relations with all the inhabitants of your garden.
How to Sow Cabbage Cabbages may be started off in an outdoor seedbed to transplant once they're bigger, or under cover into modules or pots, which also enables an earlier start to the season.
Make your own flower pot beer cooler – no tools required! And how about this ingenious idea to keep your chosen tipple cool in the garden: take two clay terra cotta pots, one larger than the other, then tape shut any drainage holes.
There is some truth here, in that a review of studies from around the world concluded that compounds in daikon radishes may help prevent diabetes, cancer and disorders of the digestive system.
Frozen produce will keep for a year and beyond, turning seasonal treats into year-round staples. Berries and currants are very easily frozen – just lay them out onto sheets so they're not touching, freeze them solid then decant into freezer bags or...
It is always best to leave rutabagas in the ground until they get nicely chilled but not frozen. The roots will push up as they gain size, and garden-grown rutabagas tend to be more top-shaped than round.
Saving Onion & Leek Seeds Onions, leeks and shallots set seed in their second year. Scrape out the seeds from ripe chili peppers then dry them before storing Saving Pepper & Tomato Seeds The seeds of tomatoes and peppers are ready when the fruits themselves...
Cut through a branch for a certain diagnosis. If you need to cut back to the main trunk, cut close to the raised ‘collar' but not into it. Silver Leaf Disease in Plum Trees Silver leaf disease can affect other fruits such as apples and cherries, as...
The thin walls of the fruits make them quick and easy to dehydrate, ensuring a ready supply of crinkle-dry chilies to enjoy right up until next year's harvest. Arrange the chili peppers by spacing them out in a spiral formation – each chili should be...
Don't be a slave to the watering can; here are our tips to help you deal with drought conditions in your garden, so you can continue to enjoy good harvests this summer! EMBED VIDEO HERE Wise Watering Prioritize Watering When water's precious it pays to...
Apply an occasional feed of liquid fertilizer ( home-made fertilizers are great for this purpose). You need to allow enough time before the temperature drops and growth slows right down.
Their smaller fruitlets may be thinned using just your thumb and finger to detach the surplus. Some fruits, particularly plums, can become exceptionally heavy if they aren't thinned, leading branches to strain then snap under the weight.
Then, when the eggs hatch, the young Encarsia feed on the larvae from the inside out. Greenhouse whitefly are tiny but can seriously weaken plants Greenhouse Whitefly Organic Controls Whitefly can strike any time from the middle of summer.
Frost tolerant Yes. Feeding Not normally required. Position Full sun. If storing shallots, cure in a dry place for 10 days after pulling the plants. Alternatively, plant first thing in spring, or grow from seed and set out seedlings in early spring.
Females lay eggs near the base of plants, and the larvae feed on the plants' roots. Populations quickly build, and the beetles further damage plants by feeding on flower and transmitting a disease called bacterial wilt, which causes plants to wilt and...
Notes Borage seedlings are only edible when very young. Position A sunny spot where bumblebees and other large pollinators are desired. Troubleshooting Beware of sleepy bees when pruning or otherwise working with mature borage plants.
Notes Valerian produces extremely fragrant flowers in early summer. Frost tolerant Extremely cold hardy, even in harsh winter climates. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil.
Feeding Not generally required. Companions Squash, Tomato and Beans. Frost tolerant A cold-hardy perennial, lemon balm can survive temperatures to -20F (-30C). Harvesting Gather sprigs as needed in the kitchen.
Fertilize established clumps with a balanced organic fertilizer in the fall. Frost tolerant Excellent. As the flowers fade in the garden, trim them off with scissors or pruning shears.
Space dwarf varieties 8 inches (20cm) apart in all directions; allow 12 inches (30cm) between very tall varieties. Frost tolerant None. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Fertile, well-drained soil.
Spacing Single Plants: 1' 7" (50cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 1' 5" (45cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Start seedlings indoors or start with purchased plants.
Companions Onion, Onions and Radish. Notes Thin seedlings to proper spacing when they are 4 inches tall. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Parsnip Aphids (General) Carrot Rust Fly Slug Snail Plant Diseases which...
