Taylor S Guide To Perennials

Then use a measuring tape to estimate the site's rise (elevation gain) and run (distance from front to back). Concrete blocks are less costly, though heavy to handle. Raised Beds for a Sloping Vegetable Garden Building a terraced vegetable garden is basically...

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.

Alternatively, assuming your back's up to it and you're feeling strong, you could yank at the central stem to tear some (but not all!) of the roots – just enough to reduce the volume of moisture reaching the plant and to create artificially dry conditions.

In autumn and winter, spores of Chondrostereum purpureum may infect trees through wounds, so it's important to avoid pruning at this time. Once that's done, step back again and look over your tree.

Arrange the chili peppers by spacing them out in a spiral formation – each chili should be offset about 30 to 60 degrees from the previous one. Well, after plenty of careful nurturing and a recent run of fine, warm weather, I'm delighted to say my first...

Prioritize shady areas for crops that prefer cooler conditions, such as salad leaves. This extra layer serves a few purposes: it shades the soil from the sun, helping to keep it cooler, and it acts as a lid on the soil, dramatically reducing evaporation.

Cover them over then once the stems reach about 20cm (8in) tall, begin earthing up by drawing the soil up around the stems to create ridges. Check the shoots periodically for aphids and plant them before they begin to wither.

Plants Related to this Article Apple (Dwarf) Grow Guide Pear (Dwarf) Grow Guide Plum (Dwarf) Grow Guide < All Guides The fruits left to grow on will enjoy more airflow, sunlight and energy from the tree for even ripening.

Hanging up sticky traps is also a great way to monitor populations of whitefly early on in the season – act immediately when you spot them. Recipes abound for homemade insecticidal soaps.

Diversify your fall garden with red-skinned Chinese radishes (top), white daikon radishes (right), and watermelon radishes (left) Daikon radishes have long, upright leaves with wavy edges, and some varieties can develop roots more than 12 inches (30cm)...

One of my favorites deals with that glut goliath, the zucchini. Preparing for the freezer is quick, it can be done in small batches, and much of the original flavor and nutritional value of the produce will be retained.

Pests tend to leave rutabagas alone when more tender cabbage or kale are present, in part because rutabaga leaves are studded with prickly hairs. The same pests that bother other brassicas can affect rutabagas, but they usually don't.

It'll save you money, closes the loop on your growing but, above all, it's delightfully satisfying. Saving Onion & Leek Seeds Onions, leeks and shallots set seed in their second year.

So encouraging these productive staples to carry on cropping for longer is the aim of the game. How do you keep your pickings coming? Keep Plants Warm to Extend the Harvest into Fall Later on in the season stragglers can be encouraged to keep producing...

Naturally you don't want pests to destroy the crops that you've worked so hard to grow, but reaching for the bug spray is not a good option, and it's ultimately self-defeating. What's your favorite earth-friendly way to protect your garden from pests?

Ensure they have all the space and nutrients they need by carefully weeding between plants with a hoe or by hand. Mark out drills about half an inch (1cm) deep and six inches (15cm) apart.

They contribute to light pollution and diminish our ability to admire nature's light show, the stars. I am no fan of the excessive glare from poorly placed spotlights or security lights.

Frost tolerant Yes. Remove infested plants. 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.

Females lay eggs near the base of plants, and the larvae feed on the plants' roots. You can also try growing varieties like ‘Little Leaf' and slicing cucumbers, which lack the bitter gene and are less attractive to the cucumber beetles.

Companions Tomato, Squash, Strawberry and Pepper. Troubleshooting Beware of sleepy bees when pruning or otherwise working with mature borage plants. A good companion for any crop that needs strong defense from insects.

Tips: Yellow sticky traps or yellow pans of water can be used to monitor and trap onion flies. Beneficial nematodes are the only effective treatment for this pest. Onion root maggots Onion root maggots Onion root maggots in garlic Onion root maggots in...

Companions Echinacea, Catnip, Agastache and Dill. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Gather them for use as cut flowers to keep valerian from reseeding and becoming invasive.

Feeding Not generally required. Troubleshooting Control lemon balm's spread by cutting back flowering stems in late summer. Locate it where leaves can be conveniently picked, crushed and sniffed.

Hot pepper sprays help to deter these nibblers. Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Average garden soil with excellent drainage. Cover the bulbs to four times their depth with loose soil.

In midsummer, drench plants with a liquid plant food to stimulate new growth. Most gardeners buy ageratum seedlings, but only dwarf varieties are widely available as bedding plants.

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. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Tomato (Large) Aphids (General)...

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.