Chopping the leaves up with a few passes of the lawn mower makes them less likely to blow around and lets rain pass through more easily. They will help suppress weeds and contribute to a well-structured soil once they've rotted down.
There are no rules on the materials you choose provided they don't leach nasty chemicals into the soil, as can happen with treated lumber or landscape timbers. Over time, the lowest tiers of a sloped site gain organic matter as it trickles down from the...
The legumes germinate best while the soil is still warm, so they are usually planted in September. It's been a rough year in many vegetable gardens, but mild autumn days are just around the corner.
Rice also traps ethylene, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by many Indian households who sink the fruits into containers of rice. The peppers can then color up indoors, in the warmth, leaving the remainder to develop further.
Make pruning cuts to an upward-facing bud to prevent branches from drooping too much when heavy with fruit Some plum varieties, like ‘Victoria', tend to grow branches that spread outwards horizontally.
Push the needle through the green cap of each chili, rather than the flesh of the fruit, which could serve as an entry point for mold. If you don't have a dehydrator you can simply dry your fruits by threading them onto lengths of fishing line or cotton...
If you can offer any further tips or advice, please go ahead and share them in the comments section below. They'll all save you time while ensuring your plants stay in the best condition possible.
At this stage cut the foliage off and put it on the compost heap. If you're thinking you could simply replant some of your summer-harvested potatoes, I'm afraid this will only meet with disappointment.
Nectarines should be thinned once to six inches (15cm) apart. Plants Related to this Article Apple (Dwarf) Grow Guide Pear (Dwarf) Grow Guide Plum (Dwarf) Grow Guide < All Guides I'm using a sharp pair of pruners for the job, but if the fruits are really...
Encarsia formosa may sound like the Latin name of a beautiful vine, but it's actually a special type of parasitic wasp that lays its eggs inside whitefly larvae. Spray at a cooler time of the day and follow up with one or two more sprays a few days later.
It's naturally full of potassium, which fruit and pod-bearing plants love. 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...
Compost any remaining plant debris from the beds once the crop is cleared to prevent pests hiding out under leaves or in dead stems, and give greenhouses and hoop houses a good clean once a year.
And they go a long way in the kitchen too, more than earning them the space they need to grow. Summer cabbages are the first to be sown, in mid spring, followed by autumn and winter types later on in spring.
Choose a clump-forming variety, so it doesn't spread through your garden like wildfire. Climbers, particularly scented climbers like jasmine, honeysuckle or rambling roses are also perfect for this purpose and may be trained up an arch positioned over...
The crisp radishes are mild enough to eat raw or cooked, they make a great refrigerator pickles, and sound specimens will keep in the refrigerator for months. Photo courtesy of All-America Selections Award Enter the Dragons – Colorful Chinese Radishes...
As you'd expect, there are many thousands of chutney recipes. Tougher vegetables, such as carrots, need four. Hang herbs upside down in a warm, dry and airy place. One of my favorites deals with that glut goliath, the zucchini.
Transplant or thin rutabagas to at least 8 inches (20cm) apart, with wider spacing even better. Too much nitrogen can lead to poor bulb formation, so it is best to use only half as much as the product's label suggests when preparing the bed, with the...
You may find you need to stake the plants as they stretch out to flower. You can get a lot of seeds from just a few plants, which makes saving these seeds very worthwhile indeed. ...And the Worst Vegetables for Seed Saving Avoid saving seeds from the...
Because the bean embryo is attached just under the hilum, it is best to nick the seed opposite this point to avoid causing damage.After nicking, it is a good idea to soak the seeds for a few hours or overnight.
When you go out to collect seeds from the plants at the end of the flowering season, you may find that the seed pods are soggy. After removing all the debris from the seeds, check them for moisture damage.Moisture can typically cause damage in the following...
While some of these may offer a nice surprise, at other times they can become a nuisance. One of the best bangs for your gardening buck is a reseeding plant. For fruits and veggies, they will often not grow true to the parent but something will grow and...
Dip your cutting in one of the wetter options listed here first to help the cinnamon stick better and double your protection.is a good bacteria killer, too. The very easiest method for rooting plants organically uses only one ingredient that you're guaranteed...
The plantable pot can absorb some water, so it may be necessary to increase watering depending on the type used. These biodegradable plant containers differ from compostable and recycled plastic/bio-based plastic (R3) containers in the way that plantable...
Either way, water only enough to keep the potting mix slightly damp.Some gardeners prefer not to cover seed trays, while others use plastic wrap or a dome cover. You canby baking it in a 200 F.
Weave the stem above the soil, then back down again. Layering involves burying or covering a part of a stem to create a new plant. There are a number of layering propagation techniques, but all of them work by causing the plant to grow roots along a stem,...
This is normally not possible in the home garden.Instead, you can select a bloom that you will later collect seeds from the fruit or seedpod. Wind or insect pollinated vegetables include:With wind or insect pollinated plants, the plants need pollination...
Seed starting times are calculated by taking the date of the last frost and subtracting the days until transplant. Some seeds recommend just a dusting of soil over the seeds, while others need more submersion.or wrapping them overnight in a damp paper...
