Over time, the lowest tiers of a sloped site gain organic matter as it trickles down from the higher beds, so adding organic matter to the higher beds benefits the lower ones, too.
There are dozens of cold-tolerant species from which to choose, or you can use a cover crop blend offered by your favorite seed company - a great way to get to know clovers, mustards, vetches and other green manure plants.
Just keep picking and the others will surely follow! How to Ripen Squashes and Pumpkins Winter squashes and pumpkins naturally color up as they mature towards the end of the growing season.
Continue watering a suitable organic liquid fertilizer on to hungry fruiting vegetables like tomatoes, peppers and eggplant. How do you keep your pickings coming? Keep Watering for Best Fruit Quality All vegetables need water, but fruit and pod-producing...
If you're regularly affected by a particular pest, it can be worth looking for early or late varieties of plants which may avoid becoming part of a pest's rations if they're not growing at the high-risk time.
Harvest cabbages once the heads have firmed up How to Harvest Cabbage Use a sharp knife to cut your cabbages once the heads have firmed up. Additional rows of spring or summer cabbage should be set around the same distance apart, while fall and winter...
This can be achieved by framing it with, for example, large terracotta pots bursting with bedding plants, herbs or topiary. After all, what's the point in having a beautiful garden if you can't take a moment to revel in its all-round gorgeousness?
The leaves are thin, smooth and hairless compared to other radishes, with attractive red stems. Wonderful Watermelon Radishes The round radishes with red interiors called watermelon radishes have a more poetic name in their native home of China – shin...
Avoiding Problems When Growing Rutabagas Like most other root crops, rutabagas need sunny, well-drained soil with a near-neutral pH amended with a modest supply of organic fertilizer or composted manure.
You'll be able to see and feel the beans swelling within their pods. Spread them out onto newspaper to dry out on a warm windowsill for seven to ten days. Once the plant displays its fluffy seed heads, pull it out of the ground and hang it upside down...
Branches infected with silver leaf will have a tell-tale dark stain at the centre. This used to be the recommendation, but best practice nowadays is to leave pruning wounds open to ‘bleed' and heal naturally.
When to Harvest Chili Peppers for Drying You don't need to wait until your chilies turn colour before you pick them. Once all of your chilies are threaded on, tie off the line to make a loop.
Suspend it over plants to help them keep their cool. Set it to come on very early in the morning, before things heat up. Here are a few ideas to help. Shade cloth can cast just enough shade to keep your plants happy in severe heat – and it's easily...
Now prepare to unearth your spuds – a joyous moment indeed! Container-grown spuds can be upturned and the compost torn apart to reveal the tubers. Planting Second Crop Potatoes Second-crop potatoes take about three months to reach maturity.
Start by cutting away any misshapen, damaged or scarred fruits. Many tree fruits, including apples and pears, naturally thin their fruits in early summer during the so-called June drop .
Yes, it's all very unpleasant stuff. The whitefly larvae are still alive at this point and it's only when the parasite is almost ready to hatch out as an adult that it then sets to work on its host's vital organs.
Position Full sun. Feeding Not normally required. Companions Beet, Chamomile, Carrot, Strawberry, Lettuce, Chinese Cabbage and Cabbage. Alternatively, plant first thing in spring, or grow from seed and set out seedlings in early spring.
Damage: Striped cucumber beetles emerge in late spring and immediately begin feeding on cucumber, melon and squash seedlings. Populations quickly build, and the beetles further damage plants by feeding on flower and transmitting a disease called bacterial...
A fresh crop of plants can be planted in late summer for bloom in the fall. Harvesting Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest...
They are also much loved by cats and dogs. Notes Valerian produces extremely fragrant flowers in early summer. Valerian can stand 5 feet (1.5 meters) tall when it is in full bloom.
Frost tolerant A cold-hardy perennial, lemon balm can survive temperatures to -20F (-30C). Companions Squash, Tomato and Beans. Spacing Single Plants: 1' 11" (60cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 1' 11" (60cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant...
Cover the bulbs to four times their depth with loose soil. Perennial candytuft makes an ideal companion plant. 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...
Tall varieties make great cut flowers. Space dwarf varieties 8 inches (20cm) apart in all directions; allow 12 inches (30cm) between very tall varieties. Dwarf types make good edging plants for beds and containers.
Black patches on the bottom of fruits are a nutritional disorder best prevented by growing tomatoes in well-prepared soil with constant light moisture. Store at room temperature. Troubleshooting Watch for leaf-eating tomato hornworms, and pick them off.
Can be left in the soil through winter in many areas. Mulch to deter weeds and keep soil moist. Harvesting Use a digging fork to loosen soil along outside of the planting before pulling roots.
