January brings the start of a new garden season. All gardeners can begin planning this year’s vegetable and herb garden in January and some will start planting this month. To start the vegetable garden year, ask yourself these questions: Which vegetable do we want for fresh eating? Which do we want for freezing and storing…
Almanac
Average First and Last Frost Dates for Cities, States, and Countries
Average frost dates–the last frost in spring and the first frost in autumn–can be used to set seed starting dates for the crops you plan to grow. They can also be used to set harvest dates and to plan the extension of the growing season–both early and late. Most crops grow best during the frost-free…
November Planting and To-Dos Zone-by-Zone
The vegetable garden will finish its transition to the cool season in November in the Northern Hemisphere. Cool-season greens and root crops should be in the ground now. Gardeners must be prepared to protect winter crops from frost in southern regions to snow and ice in northern gardens. Winter vegetables can be grown in plastic…
Late Summer Seed Sowing Tip
Seeds sown in warm soil and hot late summer weather can have a difficult time germinating. Moistening the seed bed and protecting seed from hot weather can ensure germination. Here are some simple steps to increase seed sowing success: (1) moisten the seed bed with a sprinkle of water; (2) sow seed; (3) cover the…
Garden Tips for August
August is a month of endings and beginnings in the kitchen garden. In nature, change is about. Summer will begin to fade in many gardens during August giving way to autumn and cool weather. In hot summer regions, heat may continue for several more weeks then give way to warm but not cool temperatures. In…
Grow Tomatoes This Spring
No tomato tastes better than the one you’ve grown yourself. Whether you are growing tomatoes for slicing on sandwiches, salads, snacking, cooking, or canning, there is a tomato or two that will grow easily where you live. Here’s a collection of tips to help you start growing the tastiest, juiciest tomatoes ever in your home…
Vegetable Garden Tips for March
Welcome to March in the vegetable garden! March brings the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Spring in the Northern Hemisphere arrives on March 19 this year. “It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter…
April Seed Starting Veggies Zone-by-Zone
Here are seed starting tips–both indoors and outdoors–and schedule for April zone-by-zone. If you are unfamiliar with the USDA zone where you live, look at the minimum annual temperature guideline following each zone. Soil and Seed Starting Mix Getting seed started indoors is essentially the same as sowing seed outdoors directly in the garden. If…
Seed Starting Vegetables in March
To get a head start on the growing season, start your vegetable seeds indoors. Cold soil and unsettled weather will challenge seeds sown directly in the garden in early spring. Cool-season crops that are the easiest to start from seed indoors are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, and lettuce. Warm-season crops to start indoors…
Seed Starting Vegetables in February
Starting seed in the garden can be challenging, especially early in the season. Garden soil either too cold or too wet are the chief obstacles to germination in late winter and early spring. The solution: start seeds indoors early in the season. Vegetables that are the easiest to start indoors from seed are broccoli, Brussels…
