Timing & Seasonal
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
Which Veggies for Which Season?
Because a vegetable needs either warm or cool weather, crops sort themselves into two distinct categories: cool season (for spring and fall) and warm season (for summer). Planting in the proper season is the first step to a bountiful garden. … Continue reading
These Vegetables Take a Chill
Hardy vegetables tolerate hard frosts (usually 25 to 28 degrees F). They taste best in cool weather, making them perfect for fall harvests. See the USDA Freeze Map for the approximate date of the first freeze in your area. This will give … Continue reading
Summer Herb Harvest Tips
In summer herb gardeners get a delicious payoff for all our efforts. Oddly enough, this is where some gardeners become timid, unsure what to do next because the plants are so full and beautiful, you hardly want to trim them. … Continue reading
So What Happens During a Freeze?
When a freeze is predicted, what happens to your fall vegetables? Perhaps nothing, depending on the length and depth of the freeze. If the weather brings just a frost, the flavor of greens actually improves. Hardy spinach, collards, and kale … Continue reading
Rescue Sad Tomato Plants. Enjoy a fall harvest.
Can This Tomato Be Saved? Do you live in a region with a long growing season? Are your tomatoes looking a little rough, like the one pictured? Don’t give up quite yet. There may be signs of new life on … Continue reading
How to Plant Cole Crops Step-by-Step
For broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, cabbage, collards, kohlrabi, and kale. Step 1 Slip the plant from its plastic cup or pack by turning the vessel upside down and gently prodding, not pulling, the plant out so as not to break … Continue reading
Hot Summer Watering
When it doesn’t rain enough, turn on the spigot. Veggies need water to produce, especially in this hot weather. Tomatoes are especially unforgiving if they dry out. Going from dry to wet and back again creates problems like blossom-end rot, … Continue reading
Herbs in Fall? Yes. Some Love Cool Weather
Fall is a prime time for the hardiest herbs; they often do better in mild winter areas when planted now. You can put an assortment of your favorite cool-weather herbs by the kitchen door–all in one container–for a pinch of … Continue reading
Harvest Guide for Cool Weather Veggies
Pick your cool-season vegetables at the peak of perfection using these guidelines. Broccoli When you see a head beginning to form in the center of the plant, check its growth every day. Ideally, you harvest broccoli while the tiny buds … Continue reading
