Lettuce Planting Guide

Some sites may need only a low stone wall to transform them into good gardening space, while others will require compact beds stacked up like boxes. Extra reinforcement is not needed for block retaining walls less than 18 inches (45cm) high.

The legumes germinate best while the soil is still warm, so they are usually planted in September. I always grow one robust double row of sweet corn, which needs high levels of soil nutrients to produce well.

Tomatoes, for example, need a minimum temperature of 10°C (50°F) to fully develop. Temporarily secure plastic sheeting over the sprawling plants. You will need to protect plants should a frost threatens while there is still some of the growing season...

Photo by Jerzy Opiola In summer the leaves of infected plums take on a silvery sheen (although the leaves themselves are not infectious), then once the wood dies the bracket-shaped fungi appear, ready to produce more spores.

Drying is an excellent way of preserving chilies. Storing Dried Chili Peppers Dried chili peppers can be stored in any airtight container. Gloves will shield your hands from the fiery fruits, so once you're done harvesting you can whip them off and continue...

Mulches may not be very high-tech, but they are incredibly effective in a hot summer. Mulching to Keep Soil Cool and Moist Mulches are a must during any summer drought, and a mulch of organic material such as compost, leaf mold or even dried grass clippings...

Cover over with another 10cm (4in) of compost then add more compost as the stems grow, topping up 5-10cm (2-4in) at a time until the top of the container is reached. Apply an occasional feed of liquid fertilizer ( home-made fertilizers are great for this...

The main benefit of thinning to the gardener is to give those fruits that remain the space they need to grow into bigger, healthier fruits. For larger cooking apples you're looking for around 6-9 inches (15-23cm) between fruits.

You can buy sticky traps, or make your own. Each adult lays hundreds of eggs which hatch out into larvae with an insatiable appetite for whatever plant they're sat on. The trouble with homemade sprays is that their effectiveness varies dramatically, and...

Popular varieties include ‘Red Meat', ‘Mantanghong', ‘Misato Rose' and ‘Stargazer'. Expect to be inspired by these long-storing beauties. I used lightly blanched watermelon radish sticks to mimic tuna in vegetarian sushi.

Use them to bridge the gap to next season's abundance. It uses 900g (2lb) of the fruits together with a large onion and a cooking apple. Chop the produce up into small cubes about 1cm (0.5in) square.

Plants Related to this Article Rutabaga Grow Guide Bugs, Beneficial Insects and Plant Diseases Flea Beetle Guide Aphids (General) Guide Aphid, Cabbage Guide < All Guides Rutabaga growth slows as the days become short, and the oldest leaves often shrivel...

Spread them out onto newspaper to dry out on a warm windowsill for seven to ten days. If they are black then you are good to go. Saving Onion & Leek Seeds Onions, leeks and shallots set seed in their second year.

If storing shallots, cure in a dry place for 10 days after pulling the plants. Harvesting Harvest in early summer when the tops begin to fail, and the bulbs have divided into several plump bulblets.

A small vacuum is a good way to collect cucumber beetles. You can also coat the fingertips of a yellow rubber glove with petroleum jelly to make it easier to collect any beetles clustered in blossoms.

Harvesting Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Troubleshooting Beware of sleepy bees when pruning or otherwise working with mature borage plants.

Tips: Yellow sticky traps or yellow pans of water can be used to monitor and trap onion flies. Onion root maggots Onion root maggots Onion root maggots in garlic Onion root maggots in garlic Onion fly larvae burrow into plant roots Onion fly larvae burrow...

Dried valerian roots are used to make a bedtime tea that promotes sleep. Notes Valerian produces extremely fragrant flowers in early summer. Spacing Single Plants: 2' 11" (90cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 2' 11" (90cm) with 2' 11" (90cm) row gap (minimum)...

Harvesting Gather sprigs as needed in the kitchen. Locate it where leaves can be conveniently picked, crushed and sniffed. Notes Lemon balm is very easy to grow. You also can start seeds in late winter, and set out the seedlings in spring.

Position Full sun. Frost tolerant Excellent. Planting tulips behind daylilies or other summer-blooming perennials hides the fading foliage from view. As the flowers fade in the garden, trim them off with scissors or pruning shears.

Harvesting Snip off spent blossoms to keep plants looking neat, and to prolong flowering. Space dwarf varieties 8 inches (20cm) apart in all directions; allow 12 inches (30cm) between very tall varieties.

Companions Marigold, Broccoli, Chives, Mint, Borage, Parsley, Basil, Pepper, Asparagus, Monarda, Lettuce, Garlic, Dill and Calendula. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Tomato (Large) Aphids (General) Colorado Potato...

Feeding Not required. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Parsnip Aphids (General) Carrot Rust Fly Slug Snail Plant Diseases which Affect Parsnip Carrot Powdery Mildew

Hazelnuts grow best in climate such as the Pacific Northwest, where winters are chilly yet mild. Troubleshooting The nuts are much-loved by squirrels, birds and rodents. Harvesting Harvest when the husks begin to turn yellow in early fall.

In clay soil, grow in raised beds or rows. Spacing Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 3" (10cm) with 7" (20cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant If you don't start your own seeds, set out sets (small dormant bulbs) or pencil-size seedlings...

Troubleshooting Use a paper or other roll-out mulch to prevent weeds. Small melons mature quickly and take up less space compared to varieties that produce huge fruits. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest...

Small, rice-like maggots may be present, especially in apples that have dropped to the ground. Damage: Meandering tunnels in apples, just beneath the skin and extending to the core, are usually the work of apple maggots.