Drainage is never an issue, though I've noticed that some soil moves downhill along with rainwater. The author's hillside garden in late summer Steel panels are trendy now, and they can last forever, as can some types of plastic lumber.
Worth going for, don't you think? Get Ready for Planting Garlic Finally, it's never too soon to get ready to plant garlic, which deserves loose, deeply dug soil that has been generously amended with compost.
The easiest way to coax those final fruits to ripen is to make life more stressful for your plants. Simply pop the fruit(s) into a paper bag then loosely close it at the top. Fellow blogger Barbara Pleasant recommends gathering the first fruits of the...
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 and how often you are able to pick it will begin to tail off.
Dealing with pests in the garden can feel like an ongoing battle. And don't forget to report any pests you see at BigBugHunt.com . Compost any remaining plant debris from the beds once the crop is cleared to prevent pests hiding out under leaves or in...
Leave about 18in (45cm) between each seedling. Summer cabbages crop from summer into early autumn, while fall cabbages and winter varieties cover the remainder of the year. Firm your cabbages into the ground well, then water generously to settle the soil...
Choose a clump-forming variety, so it doesn't spread through your garden like wildfire. Bamboo contributes a welcome rustle if you haven't got many trees or shrubs nearby to sway and shuffle in the breeze.
Popular varieties include ‘Red Meat', ‘Mantanghong', ‘Misato Rose' and ‘Stargazer'. Some of the newest daikons are purple rather than white or green. Some people rate the leaves as edible, but I'd rather hold out for the large, red-skinned roots,...
Tougher vegetables, such as carrots, need four. There are, of course, many other ways to preserve some of the growing season's generosity (a kinder word than ‘glut', which sounds a little ungrateful!).
Transplant or thin rutabagas to at least 8 inches (20cm) apart, with wider spacing even better. Spacing is important, too, because crowded rutabagas will grow huge tops with skinny roots.
The flowers are beautiful though, and provide welcome food for local bees and other pollinators. Store them somewhere cool, dry and dark until you're ready to sow in spring. But if you need the space, you can hurry things along by cutting the heads a...
It's harder for the trees to resist the disease in winter, so again summer pruning is the safer option. It's not uncommon on plums and related plants, and in the absence of the distinctive dead, sunken patch it's likely due to other less serious issues,...
They're incredibly easy to make and they can look just stunning. If necessary, wipe the fruits with a dry cloth to remove any traces of dirt. They shouldn't take longer than two to three weeks to dry, after which time they can be finished off in an oven...
Allow plants to soak up the water they need to avoid wastage Use a Timer An automatic irrigation system, connected to a timer, will take the strain out of watering. I hope you've found some of these ideas handy.
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. If you've grown them in the ground, use a border fork to carefully dig the plants up,...
Their smaller fruitlets may be thinned using just your thumb and finger to detach the surplus. We need to thin them to just one or two fruits per cluster. Thinning helps to produce bigger, healthier apples How to Thin an Apple Tree So let's show you how...
They are perhaps best reserved for use within a closed environment such as a greenhouse, but be aware that results may disappoint and potentially could do more harm than good. The first frost will put paid to their plans for crop-wide domination but,...
Position Full sun. Harvesting Harvest in early summer when the tops begin to fail, and the bulbs have divided into several plump bulblets. They will root during the winter, and multiply into a cluster in late spring or early summer.
Damage: Striped cucumber beetles emerge in late spring and immediately begin feeding on cucumber, melon and squash seedlings. You can also coat the fingertips of a yellow rubber glove with petroleum jelly to make it easier to collect any beetles clustered...
Harvesting Cut back borage plants by half their size in midsummer to encourage reblooming. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Any average, well drained soil. Borage attracts large buzzing insects that dominate their air space.
Managing Outbreaks: Remove badly damaged plants, as the maggots can move from one plant to another. Frequently the plant will break off as you pull it from the ground. Be sure to get covers installed early, before the newly emerged adults fly in search...
Store in airtight container. Feeding Not generally needed. Notes Valerian produces extremely fragrant flowers in early summer. Frost tolerant Extremely cold hardy, even in harsh winter climates.
Frost tolerant A cold-hardy perennial, lemon balm can survive temperatures to -20F (-30C). Locate it where leaves can be conveniently picked, crushed and sniffed. You also can start seeds in late winter, and set out the seedlings in spring.
Harvesting Cut tulips to use as cut flowers just as the buds open. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Average garden soil with excellent drainage. Hot pepper sprays help to deter these nibblers.
Some varieties produce white or pink blossoms. Feeding Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. Space dwarf varieties 8 inches (20cm) apart in all directions; allow 12 inches (30cm) between very tall varieties.
Store at room temperature. Set out after the last frost has passed, when the soil is warm and settled. Harvesting Pick regularly as soon as the fruits turn color but are still firm.
Mulch to deter weeds and keep soil moist. 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.