Rebar stakes are the best way to reinforce wood-framed beds on a slope The frames or low walls used to stabilize a terraced vegetable garden can be made from many different materials, including those discussed below.
It's time to renovate neglected beds and get late crops planted, lavish summer compost on everything, and step into soil-improvement season by sowing weed-choking green manure crops.
This odorless, tasteless gas is the vital catalyst that turns under-ripe green fruit to red, yellow and many a color in between. Plants Related to this Article Nectarine (Dwarf) Grow Guide Nectarine (Large) Grow Guide Pepper Grow Guide Bugs, Beneficial...
Keep Plants Warm to Extend the Harvest into Fall Later on in the season stragglers can be encouraged to keep producing for a week or two longer by adding the thermal comfort of a floating row cover.
Despite my tongue-in-cheek warfare references, it's important to remember that we're not really in a war against pests. Mulching will also help to suppress weeds (which can sometimes harbour pests) while encouraging pest-munching ground beetles.
Seedlings transplanted from a seedbed should be lifted up with as much soil around their roots as possible. Some types have a smooth, almost glossy appearance, while others like the Savoy cabbage produce deeply crinkled leaves that are perfect for mopping...
Bamboo contributes a welcome rustle if you haven't got many trees or shrubs nearby to sway and shuffle in the breeze. Place your beers, wine or sodas inside, then lay a soaked towel over the top.
Expect to be inspired by these long-storing beauties. Warm soil temperatures promote fast germination, so the seeds will be up and growing in a matter of days. Diversify your fall garden with red-skinned Chinese radishes (top), white daikon radishes (right),...
The exact length of time required to blanch your vegetables depends on the type of vegetable. Hang herbs upside down in a warm, dry and airy place. Place them into a pan with your spices, plus sugar and vinegar.
Spacing is important, too, because crowded rutabagas will grow huge tops with skinny roots. Then store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator, or packed in damp sand or sawdust in a cold basement.
So here's how to do it... You can get a lot of seeds from just a few plants, which makes saving these seeds very worthwhile indeed. Scrape out the seeds from ripe chili peppers then dry them before storing Saving Pepper & Tomato Seeds The seeds of tomatoes...
It's not uncommon on plums and related plants, and in the absence of the distinctive dead, sunken patch it's likely due to other less serious issues, such as stress or a wound. It's harder for the trees to resist the disease in winter, so again summer...
You can store them in containers, thread them into a chili ristra, grind them into a paste and even infuse oil or vinegar with these warming wonders. Using a Dehydrator to Dry Chili Peppers An alternative to air-drying is to use a dehydrator set to a...
They'll all save you time while ensuring your plants stay in the best condition possible. Another option is to use a portable tank to cart water to where it'll be dispensed. The best setups use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deliver water right at...
Potatoes can be enjoyed immediately, but if you want to have a shot at keeping them until Christmas leave the spuds untouched in containers, keeping the compost barely moist then unearth them when you are ready.
This usually includes the odd-shaped ‘king' fruit at the center of the cluster. Aim to leave one fruit every couple of inches (5-8cm), or if it's easier, one pair of plums every six inches (15cm).
They'll feast on aphids too. Hanging up sticky traps is also a great way to monitor populations of whitefly early on in the season – act immediately when you spot them. They have a triangular shape, like tiny, anaemic cheese wedges.
Notes Used in place of onions for concentrated flavor. Position Full sun. If storing shallots, cure in a dry place for 10 days after pulling the plants. Companions Beet, Chamomile, Carrot, Strawberry, Lettuce, Chinese Cabbage and Cabbage.
On cool mornings, place a piece of cardboard beneath plants to catch beetles you knock to the ground. Damage: Striped cucumber beetles emerge in late spring and immediately begin feeding on cucumber, melon and squash seedlings.
Position A sunny spot where bumblebees and other large pollinators are desired. Frost tolerant Seedlings will survive light frosts, but older plants are easily damaged. Feeding Not generally needed.
Managing Outbreaks: Remove badly damaged plants, as the maggots can move from one plant to another. Beneficial nematodes are the only effective treatment for this pest. At the end of each season, be sure to pull all onions from the garden.
Harvesting Dig roots in fall or early spring and dry outdoors, because they release an unpleasant smell as they dry. Plants die back to the ground in winter and re-emerge in spring.
Notes Lemon balm is very easy to grow. Frost tolerant A cold-hardy perennial, lemon balm can survive temperatures to -20F (-30C). Harvesting Gather sprigs as needed in the kitchen.
As the flowers fade in the garden, trim them off with scissors or pruning shears. Position Full sun. Clear primary colors create a festive effect in a mixed planting. Frost tolerant Excellent.
Notes Blue ageratum provides excellent contrast when combined with flowers with orange blossoms. Ageratum cannot tolerate cold temperatures. In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid plant food to stimulate new growth.
Black patches on the bottom of fruits are a nutritional disorder best prevented by growing tomatoes in well-prepared soil with constant light moisture. Position Full sun. Set out after the last frost has passed, when the soil is warm and settled.
Can be left in the soil through winter in many areas. Position Sun or partial shade. Spacing Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 7" (20cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Sow direct into soil, and cover the seeded bed or...
