Floating row covers and plant blankets are an easy way to protect crops from chilly nights and light frosts. Row covers, floating row covers, and garden blankets are made from varying weights of synthetic materials and are used to protect plants. Floating row covers are made of lightweight spun poly fabric and are laid loosely […] More
Raspberries are perhaps the most delicate fruit. This makes them a good choice for home growing and fresh picking. Just harvested raspberries quickly pass from ripe to overripe. It is difficult to find them just right at the market; they should be eaten within a day or two of picking, otherwise, they should be frozen […] More
Broccoli is an edible flower. Broccoli is a cool-season crop. Grow broccoli so that it comes to harvest when temperatures average no more than 75°F (23°C) each day. Broccoli heads are clusters of tightly packed flower buds waiting to open. Broccoli is a hardy biennial, grown as an annual. It is a member of the cabbage […] More
Cauliflower is grown for its edible flower buds that form a solid head atop single stalks. The heads are edible raw or cooked. While cauliflower is perhaps the most delicious member of the cabbage family, it is also the most finicky to grow in the home garden. When the conditions are right, even the novice […] More
Kale is a leafy cool-weather crop that requires two months of cool weather to reach harvest. Kale is a biennial plant, a hardy brassica (member of the cabbage/mustard family). Mature kale leaves can be coarse but there are several types that are grown for their tender, palatable young leaves. Kale is an important leaf crop […] More
Plant spinach in cool weather. It is well suited for the spring and autumn gardens. Plant spinach before the weather warms in spring and again as the weather cools in early autumn. (When days lengthen in late spring and the weather becomes dry and hot, spinach bolts and stops making new leaves.) Spinach can be […] More
Snap beans–also called green beans–are tender annuals best planted shortly after the last frost in spring. Snap beans are grown for fresh eating or for canning. The color of snap beans can vary. Green beans are green but other snap beans can be yellow, purple, or speckled depending on the variety. Yellow snap beans are […] More
Crocus produces small, goblet-shaped flowers that open in autumn, winter, or spring to reveal inner petals in contrasting colors. Crocus is a clump-forming perennial that grows from corms. Leaves are erect and lance-shaped. In autumn species, the flowers appear before the leaves. Crocus is a genus of hardy cormous or bulbous plant members of the […] More
Chinese cabbage is a large group of cabbages that can be divided into two categories–heading and non-heading leafy greens. The heading types include Napa cabbage–also called Hakusai, Michili, celery cabbage, and Pe Tsai. The non-heading types include Bok Choy (also called Pac Choi or Pak Choi) and Mei Qing Choi (sometimes called Baby Bok Choy). […] More
Sweet corn is a warm-season annual. It is one of the most popular home garden crops and one of the most widely planted commercial crops. Sweet corn is grown for its juicy, plump, sweet-flavored kernels. Corn can be eaten steamed, boiled, or roasted. Grow corn in the warm time of the year. Direct sow corn […] More
Native Americans called it isquoutersquash. The British call it marrow. Squash is the American English term. Zucchini, summer squash, winter squash, and pumpkins grow best once the air temperature averages 65ºF (18ºC). That means squash can be sown in late spring just about everywhere, and if you live in a long-growing season region where the […] More
The watermelon is a tender, warm-weather annual. Watermelons along with muskmelons and cantaloupes are sometimes called summer melons. They thrive in hot weather. Watermelons are easy to grow. They need plenty of sun, nutrient-rich soil, and plenty of water. Get watermelon started in the home garden after all danger of frost has passed and your […] More
Stephen Albert