As the wood decays, mycelium from the wood-feeding fungi also infiltrate adjoining soil. 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...
Kale seedlings ready to transplant atop buried caches of summer compost 2. It's been a rough year in many vegetable gardens, but mild autumn days are just around the corner. I like to restore my haggard tomato patch with a cover crop of mustard , which...
Repeat, cutting out a semicircle around the plant. Within a few days their unmistakable fragrance will serve as your cue to tuck in and enjoy! Naturally these suggestions are just the tip of the iceberg.
They often tend towards what's known as biennial or alternate bearing, where trees produce a bumper crop one year, only to take the following year off. Cutting them out sooner rather than later means you can make smaller cuts that are less likely to become...
A spiral ristra not only looks prettier, it improves airflow around the fruits, which will help them to dry out quicker. Earlier in the year I shared some top tips for growing super-spicy peppers .
If it's exceptionally dry, water again a few hours later to recharge all that valuable soil moisture. This means you can water carefully and precisely, enjoying the convenience of a hose – without wasting a drop! Water from the Bottom Watering pots...
Plant some seed potatoes in late summer and you could be enjoying a bonanza of earthy nuggets from late autumn right through to Christmas. Apply an occasional feed of liquid fertilizer ( home-made fertilizers are great for this purpose).
It also stops trees from cropping heavily one year, only to produce very few fruits the next – a phenomenon known as biennial bearing. This usually includes the odd-shaped ‘king' fruit at the center of the cluster.
They'll feast on aphids too. Blast all areas of the leaf, especially the undersides where they mostly congregate. Bugs, Beneficial Insects and Plant Diseases Greenhouse Whitefly Guide < All Guides
To prolong storage life, it's also important to trim off the leaves as the radishes are harvested. There are many ways to enjoy the “little ginseng” of the vegetable world. Some people rate the leaves as edible, but I'd rather hold out for the large,...
Herbs can be chopped up and frozen into ice cubes that can be dropped whole into recipes. Once they are completely dry and crisp, crunch them into airtight jars. Drying and Dehydrating Fruits and Vegetables Drying is one of the very easiest methods of...
Napobrassica ) include swedes, winter turnips, yellow turnips, Swedish turnips, Russian turnips, Canadian turnips, and neeps. Thin direct-sown rutabagas gradually to at least 8 inches (20cm) apart.
Some biennial crops, such as onions, shallots, leeks, carrots, beets and chard are also worth saving, though you'll need to overwinter a few plants from one season to flower and set seed the next.
Remove infested plants. In clay soil, use raised beds or rows. Harvesting Harvest in early summer when the tops begin to fail, and the bulbs have divided into several plump bulblets.
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. The Western version is slightly larger.
Borage attracts large buzzing insects that dominate their air space. Harvesting Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Large plants produce edible, starry blue flowers that attract bees in droves.
Feeding Not generally needed. Store in airtight container. Gather them for use as cut flowers to keep valerian from reseeding and becoming invasive. Often planted with low, mound-forming herbs and flowers.
Troubleshooting Control lemon balm's spread by cutting back flowering stems in late summer. Position Any sunny spot. Locate it where leaves can be conveniently picked, crushed and sniffed.
Spacing Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 3" (10cm) with 5" (15cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Set out dormant bulbs from late summer to early winter. Perennial candytuft makes an ideal companion plant.
Feeding Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. Some varieties produce white or pink blossoms. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Troubleshooting Watch for leaf-eating tomato hornworms, and pick them off. Notes Bushy determinate plants can be tied to stakes, but long-bearing indeterminate varieties need a sturdy cage or trellis.
Harvesting Use a digging fork to loosen soil along outside of the planting before pulling roots. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Spacing Single Plants: 14' 9" (4.50m) each way (minimum) Rows: 14' 9" (4.50m) with 14' 9" (4.50m) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Prepare a large hole by breaking up the soil and adding plenty of well-rotted organic matter.
In clay soil, grow in raised beds or rows. Troubleshooting Weed early and often to keep onions growing strong. Harvesting Harvest young onions as scallions. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your...
Companions Tansy, Nasturtium and Catnip. Wipe harvested melons clean and store indoors in a cool place, or in the refrigerator. Harvesting Many muskmelons and cantaloupes separate naturally from the stem when the melons are ripe, so they come away from...
Managing Outbreaks: Enclosing perfect green apples in clear plastic sandwich bags will protect them from apple maggots and other pests. Newly emerged flies will be attracted to the traps rather than each other, but it is important that the traps be in...
