Natural stone is often free if you live in a mountainous area, and as long as you stack a low wall so that it tilts slightly backward, into the slope, it should need only minor restacking at the beginning of each season.
Kale seedlings ready to transplant atop buried caches of summer compost 2. Sweet Corn Stubble for Fall Crop Protection Every situation doesn't merit wholesale renewal. Cool-season Cover Crops Parts of the garden that won't be planted until late spring...
This odorless, tasteless gas is the vital catalyst that turns under-ripe green fruit to red, yellow and many a color in between. How to Ripen Peppers Peppers – both sweet/bell and chili – can be exceptionally prodigious once they get into their stride.
Do any branches point inwards, cross over each other or look like they'll cross in the future? Oozing bark, though alarming, isn't necessarily a sign of the disease. Bacterial canker affects plums, cherries and other trees in the Prunus family.
The warm flow of air will see the fruits dried out within 24 hours or so. Begin by tying a knot into one end of the line. They shouldn't take longer than two to three weeks to dry, after which time they can be finished off in an oven set to a low heat...
Prioritize shady areas for crops that prefer cooler conditions, such as salad leaves. If it's exceptionally dry, water again a few hours later to recharge all that valuable soil moisture.
Whether or not you choose to leave potatoes in the ground depends on how cold early winter is in your part of the world. If time allows you to grow your spuds in the ground, pick a warm, sunny spot to ensure the quickest growth and the best chances of...
It sounds counterintuitive, but there's logic behind this apparent madness I promise! Read on or watch our video to find out why we do it. For larger cooking apples you're looking for around 6-9 inches (15-23cm) between fruits.
With an initial assault complete, it's now time to apply an organic insecticidal soap, again taking great care to cover all areas of the leaf including, crucially, those undersides.
I used lightly blanched watermelon radish sticks to mimic tuna in vegetarian sushi. The popularity of purple daikons is growing fast, so don't be surprised to see ‘Sweet Baby' and other purple daikon radishes at local farmers markets later this fall.
Today it's just wonderful to be able to click open a jar of home-made chutney, or to add a generous pinch of dried herbs to cooking that will bring a reminder of summer in the depths of winter.
Rutabaga growth slows as the days become short, and the oldest leaves often shrivel and may be cut away. The leaves are big and wavy, like turnips, but have a smooth surface with bluish bloom like cabbage.
As with any vegetable, it's important to choose the very best plants to collect seed from. But how can you take your vegetable growing one step further? These plants readily cross-pollinate with other members of the same family, so you're unlikely to...
Notes Used in place of onions for concentrated flavor. Crop Rotation Group Allium (Onion family) ● Soil Fertile, well drained soil with compost dug in. Troubleshooting Onion root maggots can cause plants to collapse.
On cool mornings, place a piece of cardboard beneath plants to catch beetles you knock to the ground. Striped cucumber beetle [Credit: CamPixie ] Striped cucumber beetle [Credit: CamPixie ] Host Plants: On Crops: Cucumbers, melons, squash Where Found:...
A fresh crop of plants can be planted in late summer for bloom in the fall. Feeding Not generally needed. Borage attracts large buzzing insects that dominate their air space. Spacing Single Plants: 1' 1" (35cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 11" (30cm) with...
Preventing Problems: Floating row covers (fleece) are an effective way to prevent egg laying by adults. Be sure to get covers installed early, before the newly emerged adults fly in search of host plants.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. They are also much loved by cats and dogs. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil.
Notes Lemon balm is very easy to grow. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Rich well-drained soil. 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. Allow 4in (10cm) between bulbs of miniature tulips, and 6in (15cm) between taller varieties.
Most gardeners buy ageratum seedlings, but only dwarf varieties are widely available as bedding plants. Tall varieties make great cut flowers. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Fertile, well-drained soil.
Store at room temperature. Troubleshooting Watch for leaf-eating tomato hornworms, and pick them off. Set out after the last frost has passed, when the soil is warm and settled. Black patches on the bottom of fruits are a nutritional disorder best prevented...
Mulch to deter weeds and keep soil moist. Harvesting Use a digging fork to loosen soil along outside of the planting before pulling roots. Spacing Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 7" (20cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant...
Mulch after planting, and encircle the trunk with a wire cage or protective pipe to protect the young tree from animal and insect pests. Frost tolerant Yes Feeding Mulch with well-rotted organic matter in spring.
Feeding Mix a balanced organic fertilizer into the bed or row before planting your onions, taking care to get it into the soil below the plants. Harvesting Harvest young onions as scallions.
Fast-growing muskmelons often do best where summers are cool and rainy, while warm, dry climates favor smooth-skinned honeydews. Do not weed after the fruits have set. Crop Rotation Group Cucurbits (Squash family) ● Soil Rich soil with plenty of compost...
Promptly pick up fallen apples and chop them into pieces before composting them. Managing Outbreaks: Enclosing perfect green apples in clear plastic sandwich bags will protect them from apple maggots and other pests.
