No pinching is needed, since they are self branching. It begins blooming almost as soon as it emerges from the ground, and it stays in bloom until frost kills it.In a search for possibilities, I visited a nearby nursery.
Once they have filled this flowering gap, biennial vegetables like celery, parsley and hardy greens can produce huge amounts of seeds! One year I grew beet seeds from overwintered roots, and the seed spikes got so heavy they required multiple stakes.
Weeds will take full advantage of bare soil, so it's best to keep it covered up Take a look at the picture above as an example. It's that combination of persistence and resistance that makes them so frustrating! Weeds employ some pretty underhand tactics...
They're often happy to let you have waste products such as sawdust for free to avoid having to pay to dispose of them. Simply adding organic matter to the soil surface can suppress weeds, help retain soil moisture, insulate roots from extremes of hot...
Measuring a slope's rise and run is a first step in creating a hillside garden Don't take on too much at first, because most terraced vegetable gardens are tended by hand, which requires slogging up and down a slope in addition to the usual stooping,...
A small wire bin collects the mess, and gives me a place to put the remains of seed-bearing herbs and flowers that reseed with a little help. There are dozens of cold-tolerant species from which to choose, or you can use a cover crop blend offered by...
Secure it at the sides with rocks or bricks. Warmth loving crops can stall at lower temperatures, spluttering to a halt before they've crossed the finishing line. Remove the cover during the day or leave it in place if it is forecast to remain cold.
They look like they've been used for shotgun target practice, giving the disease its alternative name of ‘shothole' (careful how you say it!). Don't leave a stub of branch sticking out – it will only die back and could introduce disease.
Well, after plenty of careful nurturing and a recent run of fine, warm weather, I'm delighted to say my first chilies are ready for picking. How to Make a Chili Pepper Ristra A ristra is simply an arrangement of drying chili peppers.
If your water source is some distance from your beds, it also means less walking back and forth. If you can offer any further tips or advice, please go ahead and share them in the comments section below.
Potato foliage can be kept snug with an insulating layer of fleece, removed during the day to allow maximum sunlight penetration. The seeds are exactly the same as those sold for spring planting, only these ones have been held back in a cold store to...
I'm using a sharp pair of pruners for the job, but if the fruits are really close to each other you may find it easier to use scissors to get in between them. But if we're to get the most from this bounty we'll in fact need to remove some of the fruits...
They will attack plants growing outdoors as well as in the greenhouse. The trouble with homemade sprays is that their effectiveness varies dramatically, and they aren't always as harmless as they seem, potentially knocking back whitefly predators too.
It's naturally full of potassium, which fruit and pod-bearing plants love. Here, then, are some top tips to keep those pickings coming... Continue Feeding Plants Don't scrimp on feeding your crops.
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.
Or sow into trays or pots then transfer the best seedlings into individual cells or pots to grow on. For lots of gardeners a vegetable plot isn't complete without that ever-dependable staple: cabbage! Shredded into a slaw, stir-fried, steamed or baked,...
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?
Unharvested daikons make a good winter cover crop because the big roots drill deep holes into the soil, which are then enriched by the rotting radishes. I used lightly blanched watermelon radish sticks to mimic tuna in vegetarian sushi.
Cover them with paper bags to stop them getting covered in dust. Dehydrators are a joy. Many recipes abound, so it's worth rooting around in books and the Internet to find the ones you love.
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.
Only save seeds from heirloom varieties Saving Bean & Pea Seeds OK, so let's begin with the easiest of the lot: peas and beans! As the end of the season approaches leave some pods to dry out on the plant.
This technique is also known as scarification.Which seeds need to be nicked? In fact, some seeds need to be nicked in order to germinate. It's important to know how to nick flower seeds as well as other plant seeds before starting your garden.So, why...
Those with thick seed coats are often impervious to moisture. If they are still green and soft, they are not mature. After removing all the debris from the seeds, check them for moisture damage.Moisture can typically cause damage in the following ways:–...
That is why crop rotation is important. You can always transplant for a formal bed but at least you don't have to save or purchase seed or another plant. While some of these may offer a nice surprise, at other times they can become a nuisance.
Honey in 2 cups boiling water. These can be bought in the store, but if you want to stay away from chemicals or simply save some money, there are plenty of organic ways of making your own rooting hormone at home, often from materials you probably already...
They are beneficial to use because they can help reduce transplanting shock (which will help with your survival rate), reduce transplanting expenses, and avoid disposable plastics.
Read on to learn about fungus in seed trays and tips for fungus control when seed starting.To help prevent fungal problems, use the following tips for fungus control when seed starting:Start with fresh, uncontaminated seed-starting mix.
