All timing-and-seasonal articles

garden fundamentals

Should You Stake Pepper Plants?

It's often a good idea to stake pepper plants. Although many peppers are strong plants that do a good job at holding themselves upright, sometimes they need a little help — especially toward the end of the season. If you live in an area in which the growing season is long, peppers tend to grow taller (sometimes three or more feet) than they would otherwise.

garden fundamentals

Heirloom Vegetable Growing Tips

Raising a crop of heirloom veggies isn’t all that different from growing non-heirlooms. Like all vegetables, each heirloom plant requires sun, consistent moisture, and fertile, well-drained soil to grow and yield a healthy crop. But it's also helpful to know where the plant originated. for the best chance of success, try these heirloom vegetable growing tips.

garden fundamentals

How to Prune Tomatoes for a Big Harvest

Pruning tomato plants is an optional technique that some gardeners use to keep plants tidy, manipulate fruit size, and even speed ripening. There is one big catch: You should only prune indeterminate varieties, which produce new leaves and flowers continuously through the growing season. Here are some reasons to prune.

garden fundamentals

Planning Your Fall Garden

Transitioning the vegetable garden from spring to fall can seem like a daunting task, but while the heat is still on in many areas of the U.S., it is time to think about preparing a fall vegetable garden for cool-season vegetables.

garden fundamentals

Vegetables that Grow in the Shade

No matter what kind of sunlight challenge your yard may present, take heart: You can still enjoy delicious, homegrown food by choosing vegetables that grow well in the shade.