Rebar stakes are the best way to reinforce wood-framed beds on a slope The frames or low walls used to stabilize a terraced vegetable garden can be made from many different materials, including those discussed below.
Summer Compost for Fall Veggies My new seedlings of broccoli, cabbage, kale, kohlrabi and other widely spaced plants get a huge helping of fresh summer compost, buried by the spadeful at the bottoms of their planting holes, with a little organic fertilizer...
Ripening will always be more effective when the fruits are left on the plant. To do this, plunge a spade into the ground about 25cm (10in) away from the central stem. Warmth loving crops can stall at lower temperatures, spluttering to a halt before they've...
This is healthier for the tree, unless there is a recurring issue with silver leaf or other diseases. Make your cut so that it slopes away from the bud to help rain to drip off. Branches that rub together will cause wounds, so they should be removed.
Drying is an excellent way of preserving chilies. Hang your ristra in a warm, well-ventilated place. Even thorough scrubbing fails to remove all traces of chilli pepper's spicy capsaicin; as you might imagine, a careless rub of the eye during a momentary...
I hope you've found some of these ideas handy. They'll all save you time while ensuring your plants stay in the best condition possible. If it's exceptionally dry, water again a few hours later to recharge all that valuable soil moisture.
If you're thinking you could simply replant some of your summer-harvested potatoes, I'm afraid this will only meet with disappointment. Plant some seed potatoes in late summer and you could be enjoying a bonanza of earthy nuggets from late autumn right...
Plants Related to this Article Apple (Dwarf) Grow Guide Pear (Dwarf) Grow Guide Plum (Dwarf) Grow Guide < All Guides Why Thin Fruits? Start by cutting away any misshapen, damaged or scarred fruits.
The trouble with homemade sprays is that their effectiveness varies dramatically, and they aren't always as harmless as they seem, potentially knocking back whitefly predators too.
Some of the newest daikons are purple rather than white or green. Watermelon radishes provide a unique color in the kitchen that's welcome in salads, sandwiches and sushi Thin slices of watermelon radish turn any salad into a rainbow, or you can pickle...
One of my favorites deals with that glut goliath, the zucchini. For example, peas and zucchini sliced into 1cm (0.5in)-thick rounds need just one minute. There are, of course, many other ways to preserve some of the growing season's generosity (a kinder...
The leaves are big and wavy, like turnips, but have a smooth surface with bluish bloom like cabbage. Harvesting and Storing Rutabagas Rutabagas make rapid growth once they become established, producing a profusion of leaves that show the plants' crossed...
Best Vegetables for Seed Saving Some vegetables are easier to save seed from than others. Saving seed from F1 hybrids won't work either, which because they are created from two separate parent varieties simply won't come true to type.
If storing shallots, cure in a dry place for 10 days after pulling the plants. Frost tolerant Yes. Remove infested plants. Spacing Single Plants: 5" (15cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 3" (10cm) with 5" (15cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and Plant Set individual...
A small vacuum is a good way to collect cucumber beetles. 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...
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Blossom clusters make beautiful but short-lived cut flowers or edible garnishes.
Be sure to get covers installed early, before the newly emerged adults fly in search of host plants. Tips: Yellow sticky traps or yellow pans of water can be used to monitor and trap onion flies.
Gather them for use as cut flowers to keep valerian from reseeding and becoming invasive. Plants die back to the ground in winter and re-emerge in spring. Frost tolerant Extremely cold hardy, even in harsh winter climates.
Harvesting Gather sprigs as needed in the kitchen. Feeding Not generally required. Troubleshooting Control lemon balm's spread by cutting back flowering stems in late summer. Lemon balm can be transplanted from early spring to early summer.
Fertilize established clumps with a balanced organic fertilizer in the fall. Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area.
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Ageratum cannot tolerate cold temperatures. Frost tolerant None. Planting and Harvesting Calendar < Back to All Plants Pests which Affect Ageratum...
Frost tolerant Yes. Position Sun or partial shade. Feeding Not required. Notes Thin seedlings to proper spacing when they are 4 inches tall. Spacing Single Plants: 7" (20cm) each way (minimum) Rows: 7" (20cm) with 11" (30cm) row gap (minimum) Sow and...
Our Garden Planner can produce a personalized calendar of when to sow, plant and harvest for your area. Harvesting Harvest when the husks begin to turn yellow in early fall. Can be grown as a hedge.
Troubleshooting Weed early and often to keep onions growing strong. Position Full sun. Companions Beet, Carrot, Swiss Chard and Cabbage. Long-day varieties work best in northern areas.
Harvesting Many muskmelons and cantaloupes separate naturally from the stem when the melons are ripe, so they come away from the vine with only a gentle tug. Frost tolerant No. Feeding After plants set fruit, feed twice, at two week intervals, with a...
Damage: Meandering tunnels in apples, just beneath the skin and extending to the core, are usually the work of apple maggots. The fly larvae tunnel through the fruit as they feed, making the fruit lumpy, disfigured, and prone to rot.
