As the wood decays, mycelium from the wood-feeding fungi also infiltrate adjoining soil. I love the way plants stack up in a hillside garden, layer upon layer, so that it looks even more lush than it really is.
The remains of reseeding flowers and herbs can be given their own space in the garden 4. By the time planting day comes, the soil will be as crumbly as chocolate cake. A small wire bin collects the mess, and gives me a place to put the remains of seed-bearing...
If temperatures remain below this for much of the day, chances are the fruits will simply fail to ripen. Secure it at the sides with rocks or bricks. If it's too windy, much of the gas simply blows away, slamming the brakes on the ripening process.
Beans will also stop producing more pods if the existing ones are left to ripen to biological maturity – by forming seeds, the plants will have completed their lifecycle, and will have no reason to continue flowering.
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. Practice crop rotation to help prevent a build-up of crop-specific pests in...
Make sure spring cabbages are transplanted no later than early fall, so they can establish before winter bites. Plant your seedlings into prepared ground. Cabbages are grouped according to when they're harvested.
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? A couple of lights directed up into the branchwork of a tree looks stunning.
They will keep for months. Purple daikons like ‘Sweet Baby' are popular at fall farmers markets. 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.
Simmer until thick (this should take anywhere from one to three hours) then decant into sterilized jars. It's a nuisance – albeit a welcome one. One of my favorites deals with that glut goliath, the zucchini.
Other names for rutabaga ( Brassica napus var. The leaves are big and wavy, like turnips, but have a smooth surface with bluish bloom like cabbage. The largest rutabaga I've ever grown got mixed up with the Brussels sprouts and enjoyed plenty of elbow...
You can get a lot of seeds from just a few plants, which makes saving these seeds very worthwhile indeed. You've sown it, grown it and harvested it. ...And the Worst Vegetables for Seed Saving Avoid saving seeds from the cabbage family.
Oozing bark, though alarming, isn't necessarily a sign of the disease. In summer small holes appear in the leaves. In autumn and winter, spores of Chondrostereum purpureum may infect trees through wounds, so it's important to avoid pruning at this time.
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 them out one by one like miniature Christmas stockings.
Shade cloth can cast just enough shade to keep your plants happy in severe heat – and it's easily removed when the weather turns cooler. Water along marked-out drills. This means you can water carefully and precisely, enjoying the convenience of a hose...
You can also protect plants against light frosts by wrapping the container in layers of corrugated cardboard or bubble wrap. 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 fruits left to grow on will enjoy more airflow, sunlight and energy from the tree for even ripening. Thinning helps to produce bigger, healthier apples How to Thin an Apple Tree So let's show you how to go about thinning an apple tree.
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. Greenhouse (or glasshouse) whitefly are closely related to aphids but a touch smaller, at around 1-2mm (a twelfth...
Crop Rotation Group Allium (Onion family) ● Soil Fertile, well drained soil with compost dug in. Alternatively, plant first thing in spring, or grow from seed and set out seedlings in early spring.
Striped cucumber beetle [Credit: CamPixie ] Striped cucumber beetle [Credit: CamPixie ] Host Plants: On Crops: Cucumbers, melons, squash Where Found: Most of North America Description: Striped cucumber beetles are less than a quarter of an inch long with...
Troubleshooting Beware of sleepy bees when pruning or otherwise working with mature borage plants. Notes Borage seedlings are only edible when very young. Spacing Single Plants: 1' 1" (35cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 11" (30cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap...
They lay eggs at the base of onion plants, and the larvae tunnel into onion roots. 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 into plant...
Position Full sun to partial afternoon shade. Feeding Not generally needed. Gather them for use as cut flowers to keep valerian from reseeding and becoming invasive. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest...
Crop Rotation Group Miscellaneous ● Soil Rich well-drained soil. Lemon balm grows into a rounded mound. Troubleshooting Control lemon balm's spread by cutting back flowering stems in late summer.
Companions Daylily, Catnip, Bells of Ireland and Salvia. Spacing Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 3" (10cm) with 5" (15cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Set out dormant bulbs from late summer to early winter.
Position Full sun to partial shade. Feeding Mix a light application of a balanced organic fertilizer into the soil prior to planting. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Spacing Single Plants: 1' 7" (50cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 1' 5" (45cm) with 1' 11" (60cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Start seedlings indoors or start with purchased plants.
Companions Onion, Onions and Radish. Can be left in the soil through winter in many areas. Notes Thin seedlings to proper spacing when they are 4 inches tall. Mulch to deter weeds and keep soil moist.
