Very steep slopes that require steps to navigate need beds that sit atop one another and must be maintained from the sides, while more moderate slopes can include pathways between shallower tiered beds.
I have plenty of compost this time of year, but it likely includes plenty of weed seeds, which doesn't matter when it's sequestered more than 2 inches (5cm) below the soil's surface.
There are some reliable methods to ripen green tomatoes at the end of the season. What tricks do you use? However, it's worth noting a couple of simple techniques for softening up the sometimes rock-hard offerings sold at the grocery store.
Using row covers can keep the chill at bay and extend your harvests into fall 6. Pickings from fruiting and pod-producing vegetables such as beans and tomatoes are coming thick and fast right now, but as summer wanes both the quantity of what you pick...
It's important to follow the instructions on the label very carefully. That may sound like a solution, but the problem is it also wipes out the beneficial insects – your own private army – at the same time.
Some types have a smooth, almost glossy appearance, while others like the Savoy cabbage produce deeply crinkled leaves that are perfect for mopping up sauces or gravy. How to Sow Cabbage Cabbages may be started off in an outdoor seedbed to transplant...
Make your own flower pot beer cooler – no tools required! And how about this ingenious idea to keep your chosen tipple cool in the garden: take two clay terra cotta pots, one larger than the other, then tape shut any drainage holes.
To prolong storage life, it's also important to trim off the leaves as the radishes are harvested. The fall growing season has many attractions, including fewer weeds, milder temperatures, and the opportunity to try special radishes that are happiest...
Cover them with paper bags to stop them getting covered in dust. Preserving techniques help to spread out sudden gluts so that summer's bounty can be enjoyed later on in the year when fresh pickings are thin on the ground.
It is always best to leave rutabagas in the ground until they get nicely chilled but not frozen. Rutabagas are highly sensitive to boron deficiency, which leads to a condition called brown heart, a discolored hollow in the middle of the rutabaga.
Before drying and storing tomato seeds, the pulp around them must first be removed. You've sown it, grown it and harvested it. Easy: by saving your own seed from this year's crops to sow next season.
Photo by Rosser1954 Sunken, dead and often oozing areas of bark will become apparent from spring and early summer, and shoots may die back. But remember, plums fruit on young wood.
Using a Dehydrator to Dry Chili Peppers An alternative to air-drying is to use a dehydrator set to a suitable temperature. If you don't have a dehydrator you can simply dry your fruits by threading them onto lengths of fishing line or cotton thread, spacing...
It will help you balance and you'll be able to water twice as quickly. 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...
If you've grown them in the ground, use a border fork to carefully dig the plants up, starting some way from the plant to avoid accidentally spearing your hard-won tubers. Cover over with another 10cm (4in) of compost then add more compost as the stems...
Early summer offers us a tempting taste of what's to come in the fruit garden. This usually includes the odd-shaped ‘king' fruit at the center of the cluster. Why Thin Fruits? Additional thinning of tree fruits ensures there's less chance of fruits...
Yes, really! In a bad outbreak a handheld vacuum can be very effective at sucking up clouds of whitefly from disturbed leaves. Severely affected plants can eventually turn yellow and wilt, producing lacklustre growth at best.
Feeding Not normally required. Remove infested plants. Troubleshooting Onion root maggots can cause plants to collapse. Spacing Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 3" (10cm) with 5" (15cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Set individual cloves...
Populations quickly build, and the beetles further damage plants by feeding on flower and transmitting a disease called bacterial wilt, which causes plants to wilt and die. You can also try growing varieties like ‘Little Leaf' and slicing cucumbers,...
A fresh crop of plants can be planted in late summer for bloom in the fall. A good companion for any crop that needs strong defense from insects. Position A sunny spot where bumblebees and other large pollinators are desired.
Managing Outbreaks: Remove badly damaged plants, as the maggots can move from one plant to another. Tips: Yellow sticky traps or yellow pans of water can be used to monitor and trap onion flies.
Notes Valerian produces extremely fragrant flowers in early summer. Companions Echinacea, Catnip, Agastache and Dill. Often planted with low, mound-forming herbs and flowers. Store in airtight container.
Companions Squash, Tomato and Beans. Troubleshooting Control lemon balm's spread by cutting back flowering stems in late summer. Gather stems for drying or steeping into tinctures in early summer, just before the plants bloom.
In less than full sun, tulip blossoms will twist toward the strongest directional light. Colors choices are endless, from white to almost black. Harvesting Cut tulips to use as cut flowers just as the buds open.
Space dwarf varieties 8 inches (20cm) apart in all directions; allow 12 inches (30cm) between very tall varieties. In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid plant food to stimulate new growth.
Companions Marigold, Broccoli, Chives, Mint, Borage, Parsley, Basil, Pepper, Asparagus, Monarda, Lettuce, Garlic, Dill and Calendula. Set out after the last frost has passed, when the soil is warm and settled.
Feeding Not required. Spacing Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 7" (20cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Sow direct into soil, and cover the seeded bed or furrow with a board to keep it moist.
