Plants sown in late winter to early summer may be allowed to persist as a ground cover and cover crop to combat weeds and enhance soil properties.If you choose to harvest the plant for consumption, take fresh flowers and leaves at any time.
Ah, the four leaf clover…so much to be said about this misfit of nature. New strains of the plant are biologically bred to produce more four leaf clovers. Some people look all their lives for that lucky four leaf clover without success, while others...
Two waterings per week is adequate in most climates, less if you live in a rainy climate.Mow the plants occasionally, as bronze Dutch clover lawns are most attractive when maintained at about 3 inches.All clovers are a valuable source of nectar for honeybees...
It can be found in any home and gardening store. The best time to plant clover in the spring is from mid-April to mid-May to coincide with spring rains. This spreading quality give some annual species invasive qualities.
Competition was keen for this pleasant task.Finally summer vacation arrived and the flowers were left to fend for themselves. The dead plants were pulled from the planter and nothing was left except the pine needle mulch.
That's a hefty list to choose from, and I like to work with a couple of biennial vegetables every year. A generous layer of mulch helps protect celery and other fibrous-rooted biennial vegetables How to Overwinter Biennial Vegetables There are several...
Remove any staples or tape then position each sheet of cardboard with generous overlaps to make it harder for weeds to push through. Use a sharp hoe to keep weed seedlings under control Zero Tolerance Tackle recently germinated weeds in existing beds...
Grass clippings are readily taken down into the soil by earthworms and other soil fauna, and also add a small supplement of nitrogen to the soil. They'll feed the lawn, ensuring it keeps producing more healthy growth for you to cut and use.
As the wood decays, mycelium from the wood-feeding fungi also infiltrate adjoining soil. Retaining wall blocks that mimic stone are easy to work with, and their uniform size simplifies bed construction.
In the row where next year's tomatoes and peppers will go, I like to sow nitrogen-fixing legumes like hairy vetch, crimson clover, or Austrian winter peas, or a blend that includes vetches, grains and clovers.
This may seem like bizarre advice, but by making a plant work harder it will concentrate more of its efforts on fruit production and ripening. Like many flowering plants, the most effective way to speed up ripening is to simply remove ripe fruits as they...
Bacterial canker affects plums, cherries and other trees in the Prunus family. Avoid removing branches that are less than three years old unless you have to. Silver Leaf Disease in Plum Trees Silver leaf disease can affect other fruits such as apples...
You can store them in containers, thread them into a chili ristra, grind them into a paste and even infuse oil or vinegar with these warming wonders. Hang your ristra in a warm, well-ventilated place.
Now lay the mulch so it's at least an inch (2cm) thick around your plants. Mulching to Keep Soil Cool and Moist Mulches are a must during any summer drought, and a mulch of organic material such as compost, leaf mold or even dried grass clippings is best.
Potatoes can be enjoyed immediately, but if you want to have a shot at keeping them until Christmas leave the spuds untouched in containers, keeping the compost barely moist then unearth them when you are ready.
The fruits left to grow on will enjoy more airflow, sunlight and energy from the tree for even ripening. This usually includes the odd-shaped ‘king' fruit at the center of the cluster.
Severely affected plants can eventually turn yellow and wilt, producing lacklustre growth at best. Just like aphids they produce a sticky ‘honeydew', which is in fact…their feces.
Prune to Let the Sunshine In Strong growth over the summer months can mean that taller plants cast shade where they didn't before, compromising crops that need plenty of direct sunlight.
Mulching will also help to suppress weeds (which can sometimes harbour pests) while encouraging pest-munching ground beetles. It's important to follow the instructions on the label very carefully.
And with a little planning it's even possible to enjoy cabbages year round, by planting a carefully curated succession of varieties suited to each season. For the healthiest growth they need an open, sunny site and rich soil.
Hang them around outdoor eating areas to extend your enjoyment of the garden long after the sun has dipped beneath the horizon. This has the effect of reducing the air temperature inside to cool your drinks.
Popular varieties include ‘Red Meat', ‘Mantanghong', ‘Misato Rose' and ‘Stargazer'. The leaves are thin, smooth and hairless compared to other radishes, with attractive red stems.
Making Pickles and Chutneys Pickles – raw vegetables preserved in spiced vinegar – and chutneys – vegetables and/or fruits cooked slowly with herbs, spices, sugar and vinegar – are a must for any kitchen gardener travelling on the road to self-sufficiency.
Rutabaga sprouts are loaded with antioxidants. My Swedish grandmother made a rutabaga-potato mash called rutamouse, which resembles Scottish neeps and tatties, or perhaps clapshot in Orkney.
But how can you take your vegetable growing one step further? So here's how to do it... Only save seeds from heirloom varieties Saving Bean & Pea Seeds OK, so let's begin with the easiest of the lot: peas and beans! As the end of the season approaches...
Although some homeowners do not find clover objectionable, its creeping growth habit can overtake turf and form large dark-green patches.A very attractive Oxalis variety has large purple leaves, that are somewhat pointed at the tips.
Small whitish-pink or bicolor flowers appear along the length of the stems in late spring and early summer.If you've never considered growing hybridum alsike clover, perhaps you should.
