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. 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...
I like to collect some to replant or share at my community seed swap, but I also dump many seed-bearing poppies, calendulas, cosmos, marigolds, nasturtiums and zinnias onto a bed where I'll know to look for seedlings in the spring.
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. Rice also traps ethylene, a fact that hasn't gone unnoticed by many Indian households who sink the...
In cooler climates, now may be the time to wash off or remove any greenhouse shading, to trap more of the late summer sunshine. Prune to Let the Sunshine In Strong growth over the summer months can mean that taller plants cast shade where they didn't...
In very extreme cases, if all else fails, use certified organic pest control products. Mulching will also help to suppress weeds (which can sometimes harbour pests) while encouraging pest-munching ground beetles.
Spring cabbages , which may also be harvested young as ‘spring greens', are ready from mid to late spring. Either way is totally delicious! Cabbages you've grown yourself are undeniably sweeter and crunchier than anything you can buy.
It's a great low-tech way of refrigerating drinks and somehow seems the ideal gardener-focussed solution for quenching thirst and cooling off on a hot summer's day. It doesn't have to be grandiose; a self-contained fountain powered by a small electric...
Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Dianthus Aphids (General) Slug Snail Troubleshooting Both rabbits and deer like to nibble dianthus foliage.
Watermelon radishes provide a unique color in the kitchen that's welcome in salads, sandwiches and sushi Thin slices of watermelon radish turn any salad into a rainbow, or you can pickle them to add color and crunch to sandwiches.
Gluts are an inevitable part of growing your own fruits and vegetables. I love my trusty dehydrator and use greaseproof sheets to make fruit leathers . A few of these techniques hark back to a time when putting aside some of the growing season's plenty...
By any name, a buttery mash of potatoes and rutabaga is a wonderful dish for a brisk fall day. A little goes a long way, so allow only three pinches per plant. Harvesting and Storing Rutabagas Rutabagas make rapid growth once they become established,...
But if you need the space, you can hurry things along by cutting the heads a little earlier. Leave the seed heads to dry out in a warm, well-ventilated place such as a greenhouse. The beautiful seed heads of onion family plants are attractive to beneficial...
They are a whitish colour, with a wooly surface and purplish-brown underside. This used to be the recommendation, but best practice nowadays is to leave pruning wounds open to ‘bleed' and heal naturally.
If you are going to pick lots of fruits, or you're a little absent-minded like me, then wear a pair of gloves for the job. Keep them whole or halved for dropping into spicy homemade curries, or pulverise them first – in the food processor or with the...
Provide shade to help seedlings thrive during a heatwave Add Some Shade Young seedlings, and cool-season crops in general, perform better under the protection of some shading in hot summers.
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.
Nectarines should be thinned once to six inches (15cm) apart. Aim to leave about 4-6 inches (10-15cm) between individual apples of eating varieties. Aim to leave one fruit every couple of inches (5-8cm), or if it's easier, one pair of plums every six...
And if that's not enough, honeydew can attract diseases such as black sooty moulds on plants already weakened by the whiteflies' persistent sap sucking. Greenhouse whitefly are tiny but can seriously weaken plants Greenhouse Whitefly Organic Controls...
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
Tips: Most conventionally grown cucumbers and melons are grown with dangerous systemic pesticides, so organic pest control is worth the time and effort. Delaying spring planting by two weeks can often help with cucumber beetles management.
Position A sunny spot where bumblebees and other large pollinators are desired. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Borage Aphids (General) Slug Snail
Beneficial nematodes are the only effective treatment for this pest. 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.
They are also much loved by cats and dogs. Feeding Not generally needed. Plants die back to the ground in winter and re-emerge in spring. Companions Echinacea, Catnip, Agastache and Dill.
Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Lemon Balm Aphids (General) Slug Snail Gather stems for drying or steeping into tinctures in early summer, just before the plants bloom.
Planting tulips behind daylilies or other summer-blooming perennials hides the fading foliage from view. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Tall varieties make great cut flowers. Feeding Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. Ageratum cannot tolerate cold temperatures.
Frost tolerant No. Feeding Weekly liquid feed or seaweed drench from mid summer onwards. Position Full sun. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Tomato (Large) Aphids (General) Colorado Potato Beetle Corn Earworm Flea...
