Carrots are among the easiest garden vegetables to grow—and the most bountiful–given the right conditions. Carrot culture is very simple. Sow the seeds rather thickly and thin the plants to 3 to 4 inches apart. If the soil is nutrient-rich and loose, there will be no trouble with root development. Remember, young, tender, quick-growing carrots […] More
Carrot color is rich in nutrition. Orange is the most familiar carrot color, but there are many colorful carrots: yellow, red, purple, and white. All are healthy eating. All are easy additions to the home garden. The first domesticated carrots—cultivated in Afghanistan more than 1,100 years ago–were white. Breeding over the past 900 years has […] More
Carrots are easy to grow; just give them loose, rich soil free of clods and stones and a soil temperature anywhere between 45° and 85°F. That means you can grow carrots just about any time of the year in raised beds or containers—even in winter with the protection of a plastic tunnel. Short and finger-size […] More
Choose the carrots you want to grow by the carrot flavor you most enjoy. There are three common carrot flavor descriptors: sugary, pine-parsley, and woody. Carrot flavor is genetically determined—some carrots will simply be sweeter than others. Growing carrots when days are warm and nights cool and growing carrots in loose, organic soil can enhance […] More
Salad greens are easy and quick to grow and are rich in vitamins and minerals. Plant salad greens—leaf lettuce, arugula, mesclun, and radicchio are a few—for harvest in cool weather—spring or fall. In warm-winter regions, grow salad greens outdoors year-round. In cold-winter regions, grow salad greens under the protection of plastic tunnels in winter. 10 […] More
Chives are a hardy cool-weather perennial plant, a relative of the onion. The tips of chive leaves have a mild onion flavor. Adds chives to salads and as a garnish for many cooked dishes. Chives have slender, round, hollow grass-like leaves 6 to 10 inches long. Globe-like pinkish-purple flowers shoot up in spring on stalks […] More
Carrots are a cool-season crop; they are best grown in spring and fall. Carrots are commonly grown in spring, fall, and winter in warm-winter regions. Carrots can be grown through the summer in mild to cool summer regions and a surplus can be stored for winter. Carrots may be seeded as early in spring as […] More
Peas are easy to grow. And, there are many kinds of peas to choose from. Garden peas–or English peas as they are sometimes called–are available in both bush and climbing varieties. They are eaten after being shelled. Snap and snow peas have edible pods. Snap peas are full, sweet, and crunchy–and can be eaten pod […] More
Most vegetables include cultivars or varieties that are quicker maturing than others. Quick-growing vegetable crops come to harvest in as little as 4 to 10 weeks. They are “short stayers” not “long stayers” in the garden. Below is a list of specific crop varieties that grow to maturity the most quickly. Quick-Growing Vegetable Varieties Choose […] More
You can grow a miniature vegetable garden. Growing vegetables in containers is an easy and pleasurable way to garden if you live in an apartment, townhouse, or condominium. A sunny balcony, patio, courtyard, porch, doorway, or windowsill is all you need to get your small garden growing. Most vegetables and herbs will succeed in […] More
There are more than 200 varieties of chilies or hot peppers. Sometimes the names of chilies can get a bit confusing because often the same pepper will be known by two or even three different names. Here’s a quick users guide to about four dozen very popular chilies and how you can use them in […] More
Pots and containers for growing vegetables and herbs on patios, balconies, and rooftops must be large enough for the crop to mature. A container must hold the soil and moisture that deliver nutrients to growing plants allowing them to leaf, flower, and fruit. The pot must be large enough to accommodate the plant’s roots. And […] More
Stephen Albert