Drainage is never an issue, though I've noticed that some soil moves downhill along with rainwater. It's like being on a stair-step machine sometimes but you get used to it, which may be one of the reasons why living in the mountains is associated with...
Most of the seeds succumb to winter, but there is always an assortment of volunteer seedlings that appear around my deadhead pile when the weather warms in spring. Cool-season Cover Crops Parts of the garden that won't be planted until late spring are...
Simply lay these soft-skinned beauties, stem-side down and not touching, between two layers of breathable linen. Some plants produce many tens of fruits over the growing season, so keeping on top of fruit removal may prove to be a daily task.
How do you keep your pickings coming? In cooler climates, now may be the time to wash off or remove any greenhouse shading, to trap more of the late summer sunshine. Feeding plants costs money but does mean more fruits of better quality, so the investment...
If codling moths on your apples are a problem, you can use sandwich bags to make the fruits inaccessible. What's your favorite earth-friendly way to protect your garden from pests?
You can use a string line to insure nice, straight rows. For lots of gardeners a vegetable plot isn't complete without that ever-dependable staple: cabbage! Shredded into a slaw, stir-fried, steamed or baked, there's not much you can't do with cabbage.
Sowing, planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, deadheading, composting, pest control… and the rest! But as summer moves swiftly along it's absolutely essential to stop, sit down and drink it all in.
Then factor in that daikons are a pickler's dream, whether you ferment them in a salt brine or turn them into spicy Vietnamese-style refrigerator pickles. Diversify your fall garden with red-skinned Chinese radishes (top), white daikon radishes (right),...
I love my trusty dehydrator and use greaseproof sheets to make fruit leathers . Herbs can be chopped up and frozen into ice cubes that can be dropped whole into recipes. Preparing for the freezer is quick, it can be done in small batches, and much of...
The root word, rotabagge , is Swedish for thick root, which hints at the density of rutabaga roots when compared to turnips. Midsummer is the best time to plant rutabagas, which need 10 to 12 weeks of growing time before the first fall frost.
Best Vegetables for Seed Saving Some vegetables are easier to save seed from than others. Saving Onion & Leek Seeds Onions, leeks and shallots set seed in their second year. See our video and article How to Prepare and Store Seeds from Your Tomato Plants...
These issues are heartbreaking when they occur, but the good news is they can usually be avoided by carefully performing one simple annual maintenance task: summer pruning. Make sure to choose upward-pointing shoots to counteract this.
They're incredibly easy to make and they can look just stunning. The fruits can be picked as soon as the seeds inside have matured, when they will have turned from small and white to full-sized and beige.
Once you're done sowing, cover the seeds back over but don't water again until after germination. The best setups use drip irrigation or soaker hoses to deliver water right at the base of plants, near the roots.
Planting Second Crop Potatoes Second-crop potatoes take about three months to reach maturity. First, the warmth of late summer means that second-crop seed potatoes do not need to be pre-sprouted – they're primed to get growing without delay.
Aim to leave about 4-6 inches (10-15cm) between individual apples of eating varieties. We need to thin them to just one or two fruits per cluster. Start by cutting away any misshapen, damaged or scarred fruits.
They need a relatively warm temperature of at least 21°C (70°F) and can really only be used within enclosed environments. They have a triangular shape, like tiny, anaemic cheese wedges.
Position Full sun. Troubleshooting Onion root maggots can cause plants to collapse. Remove infested plants. Feeding Not normally required. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Shallots Aphids (General) Slug Snail Plant...
Damage: Striped cucumber beetles emerge in late spring and immediately begin feeding on cucumber, melon and squash seedlings. Tips: Most conventionally grown cucumbers and melons are grown with dangerous systemic pesticides, so organic pest control is...
Notes Borage seedlings are only edible when very young. Borage attracts large buzzing insects that dominate their air space. Harvesting Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming.
Damage: When young onion plants wilt for no apparent reason, pull up a sample plant to check for legless worms (maggots) feeding on it roots. Be sure to get covers installed early, before the newly emerged adults fly in search of host plants.
Harvesting Dig roots in fall or early spring and dry outdoors, because they release an unpleasant smell as they dry. They are also much loved by cats and dogs. Troubleshooting Control valerian's spread by cutting back flowering stems before they can shed...
Frost tolerant A cold-hardy perennial, lemon balm can survive temperatures to -20F (-30C). Gather stems for drying or steeping into tinctures in early summer, just before the plants bloom.
Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Average garden soil with excellent drainage. Planting tulips behind daylilies or other summer-blooming perennials hides the fading foliage from view.
Notes Blue ageratum provides excellent contrast when combined with flowers with orange blossoms. Tall varieties make great cut flowers. Troubleshooting White ageratum blossoms go brown as they age, which is not as noticeable in varieties that bloom blue.
Frost tolerant No. Feeding Weekly liquid feed or seaweed drench from mid summer onwards. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Frost tolerant Yes. Germination often takes up to 2 weeks. Mulch to deter weeds and keep soil moist. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
