I have been gardening on a slope for more than 10 years, and every season I learn a little more about the hillside and its potential. I love the way plants stack up in a hillside garden, layer upon layer, so that it looks even more lush than it really...
I have plenty of compost this time of year, but it likely includes plenty of weed seeds, which doesn't matter when it's sequestered more than 2 inches (5cm) below the soil's surface.
Temporarily secure plastic sheeting over the sprawling plants. There are some reliable methods to ripen green tomatoes at the end of the season. If it's too windy, much of the gas simply blows away, slamming the brakes on the ripening process.
How do you keep your pickings coming? Continue Feeding Plants Don't scrimp on feeding your crops. None of these techniques are exactly rocket science, but by applying each you'll almost certainly be able to eke out more from your fruiting and pod-producing...
What's your favorite earth-friendly way to protect your garden from pests? Pests can sometimes infiltrate your garden among the leaves or in the potting soil of shop-bought plants, so if you buy (or are given) young plants always check them carefully...
Wire mesh will protect seedlings against pigeons, but to stop butterflies from laying their eggs on the leaves it's best to use netting during the summer months. Caterpillars prefer nasturtiums, so they'll be more likely to eat these instead of your cabbages.
Choose a clump-forming variety, so it doesn't spread through your garden like wildfire. LED lighting is low cost, versatile and doesn't use much electricity. I am no fan of the excessive glare from poorly placed spotlights or security lights.
Purple daikons like ‘Sweet Baby' are popular at fall farmers markets. Asian radishes including daikons, Chinese radishes, and watermelon radishes are great fun to grow as summer turns to fall, but you'll need to get busy.
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.
Transplant or thin rutabagas to at least 8 inches (20cm) apart, with wider spacing even better. Harvesting and Storing Rutabagas Rutabagas make rapid growth once they become established, producing a profusion of leaves that show the plants' crossed genetic...
First check the seeds are ready by opening up a seed pod to observe the seeds inside. These plants readily cross-pollinate with other members of the same family, so you're unlikely to get what you hoped for.
Soft shoots can be pinched out with your thumb and forefinger. If you need to cut back to the main trunk, cut close to the raised ‘collar' but not into it. Environmental stress can cause a similar silvering, but it's likely to affect the whole tree,...
The knot will support the first chili so it needs to be a good size so it won't drop off. Begin by tying a knot into one end of the line. Storing Dried Chili Peppers Dried chili peppers can be stored in any airtight container.
Suspend it over plants to help them keep their cool. Two watering cans are better than one! Don't Blast Your Plants A strong spray from a hose can knock plants about or blast potting soil out of containers.
The seeds are exactly the same as those sold for spring planting, only these ones have been held back in a cold store to stop them developing any further; they're literally in suspended animation.
It also stops trees from cropping heavily one year, only to produce very few fruits the next – a phenomenon known as biennial bearing. Plants Related to this Article Apple (Dwarf) Grow Guide Pear (Dwarf) Grow Guide Plum (Dwarf) Grow Guide < All Guides
Flowers and flowering herbs such as calendula , thistles, oregano, fennel, parsley, poached egg plant and buckwheat are all easy to grow and will draw in whitefly-eating predators by the crowd.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Shallots Aphids (General) Slug Snail Plant Diseases which Affect Shallots Allium White Rot Onion Downy Mildew
You can also try growing varieties like ‘Little Leaf' and slicing cucumbers, which lack the bitter gene and are less attractive to the cucumber beetles. A small vacuum is a good way to collect cucumber beetles.
Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil. Feeding Not generally needed. 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.
Valerian can stand 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall when it is in full bloom. Frost tolerant Extremely cold hardy, even in harsh winter climates. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Lemon Balm Aphids (General) Slug Snail Troubleshooting Control lemon balm's spread by cutting back flowering stems in late summer.
In less than full sun, tulip blossoms will twist toward the strongest directional light. Notes Tulips will return for several years where winters are cold, but may rot when grown in warm, moist climates.
Dwarf types make good edging plants for beds and containers. Frost tolerant None. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Fertile, well-drained soil. Tall varieties make great cut flowers.
Black patches on the bottom of fruits are a nutritional disorder best prevented by growing tomatoes in well-prepared soil with constant light moisture. Harvesting Pick regularly as soon as the fruits turn color but are still firm.
Can be left in the soil through winter in many areas. Notes Thin seedlings to proper spacing when they are 4 inches tall. Crop Rotation Group Umbelliferae (Carrot and root family) ● Soil Deeply worked soil that has not had compost or manure added withing...
