How to Prepare a Planting Bed Newly established planting beds and planting beds that have been used in past seasons must be readied for the coming growing season. To prepare an established planting bed for the growing season you must decide what is going to be planted in the bed. While most planting beds are […] More
Each month, we bring you zone-by-zone garden care and planting tips. July in the Northern Hemisphere is mid-summer and nearly every garden is experiencing warm or hot weather. For July, our gardening tips are applicable in all zones. Here, you’ll find planting and care tips for trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs, the lawn, and container […] More
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: Make a list of the crops you want to grow this year. Start purchasing seeds and […] More
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 […] More
October is a busy month in the vegetable, herb, and fruit garden. Some summer crops are still ripening in the garden. Most are at harvest stage if they have not already been harvested. Check your planting calendar to make sure you harvest warm-season crops at their maturity date or soon after; don’t let them linger […] More
This map of climate zones will help you select plants for your garden that will survive a typical winter in your region. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the map. The ones are based on the average lowest temperatures across the United States. Zone 1 is the coldest region and Zone 11 is […] More
October is the right time to prepare for the coming frost and cold weather. How will you extend the season if your summer crops are not yet ready for harvest? How will you protect your autumn and winter garden from snow and freezing temperatures? We have put together a roundup of things to do starting […] More
The weather will direct your efforts in the vegetable garden in early autumn–September. Frost may strike even the mildest regions in early autumn. Know the average first frost date for your area. This date will allow you to plan your garden activities; you may have plenty of days to get new crops in or you […] More
February is a busy month for the vegetable gardener. In many regions, indoor and outdoor sowing and planting will begin. Gardeners in warm regions already have seed in the ground. In cold regions, where there is snow on the ground, February is still time for making plans and preparing for spring. Here are some tips […] More
Vegetable crops will begin to take longer to ripen in September. Give melons, limas, and tomatoes more time to ripen naturally. Eggplants are ready for harvest when they are shiny. Beans, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, and summer squash will not ripen or mature once they are picked. They will keep for a week or two in […] More
Late spring and early summer is the time to set out heat-loving crops–tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, squashes, cucumbers, okra, and melons. Plant these crops where they will get plenty of sunshine for rapid growth and timely harvests. Work plenty of aged compost or commercial organic planting mix into the beds, mounds, and hills ahead […] More
Keep a vegetable garden calendar and map. Use the calendar to record when you start seeds when you plant in the garden, and when you expect to harvest each crop. Use the garden map to record where you plant each crop or plan to plant later in the season. Keeping track of the garden in […] More
Stephen Albert