Growing Techniques

The mechanics is where the science and art of gardening meet. Read about some basic techniques here or develop your own.

Tomato family crops shouldn't be planted in the same spot year after year. Rotating Vegetable Crops for Garden Success

To keep the vegetable garden healthy, avoid repeating the same planting plan in the same spot. This practice, called crop rotation, can feel a bit like juggling, but it’s important to prevent crop-specific pests and diseases from building up and … Continue reading →

Use row cover fabric for plant protection. Row Cover Fabric Works Like a Blanket For Your Plants

When the weather gets cold, we pull on sweaters or button our coats. The extra insulation holds our bodies’ heat inside the protective coverings. The same principle works for garden plants. Like a coat for the garden, a floating row … Continue reading →

Stake Tomato Off the Ground Feature How to Support Tomatoes

Tomato plants benefit from support, whether a cage, stakes, or a myriad of other creative solutions. Learn how to support tomatoes and get inspiration from our slideshow of solutions. Stake or support tomatoes off the ground to: Avoid diseases Make … Continue reading →

plant-tomatoes-deep-feature Plant Tomatoes Deep, Deep, Deep

Each Bonnie tomato label urges you to plant tomatoes so that a full 2/3 of the plant is underground. That means that if you buy a 10-inch tall plant, all but the top three inches is buried. Why? Because the … Continue reading →

Pepper to Stake or Not to Stake feature Peppers: To Stake or Not to Stake?

You decide. Although many peppers are strong plants that hold themselves upright, they sometimes need a little help. If you live in an area where the growing season is long, peppers often get taller than expected, maybe three feet tall. Also, … Continue reading →

Let Cucumbers Grow Up feature Let Cucumbers Grow Up

Cucumbers do best if they can climb instead of spread over the ground. The tendrils of the vines will grab fences, string, wire trellis, or tall cages so that the vines climb the structures. This makes for better air circulation … Continue reading →

For Early Tomatoes feature For Early Tomatoes, Try This

Want to bite into your first homegrown tomato soon? Here are three easy ways to speed the harvest. Normally, tomatoes are planted at least two weeks after the last frost, but with steps 2 and 3, you can cheat the … Continue reading →

Using hay mulch will help retain water Drought-Busting Techniques

All these things add up to great water savings that can keep your garden going in dry times. Remember that vegetables are about 90% water. No water, no harvest! Soaker hoses put water where you want it. Lay out a soaker … Continue reading →

drought busters feature Drought Busters Respond With Many Good Ideas

Read these great ideas from some of your fellow Bonnie gardeners dealing with drought. Plastic Mulch in Black, Green, or Red I mulch the garden at spring planting with black, green, and red plastic mulch, depending on the plants I … Continue reading →

crucial-growth-stages-water-feature Crucial Growth Stages When Vegetables Absolutely Need Water

Vegetables go through stages when they are at their most sensitive to water for good growth and development. When your veggies are in this phase of growth, be sure to water. Always water thoroughly so that the water soaks in … Continue reading →