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    How to Prune Tomatoes

    Tomatoes pruned to a single stake1

    Pruning a tomato means removing unneeded growth tips from the plant. These growing tips are sometimes called shoots or suckers. Growth tips are the new growth–the small leafy-bud growth–located in the “V” or crotch between two stems. Pruning or pinching away new growth allows a tomato plant to concentrate its energy on the development of […] More

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    Grow Tomatoes on Stakes

    Tomatoes Trained to Single Stakes

    Grow tomatoes on stakes to ripen fruits earlier than plants that are not staked. Grow tomatoes on stakes to keep fruit cleaner and easier to spot at harvest. You can grow almost twice as many staked tomatoes in a given area than if you let plants grow unstaked or in cages. Tomatoes grown on stakes […] More

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    Know Your Warm-Season Crops

    bell peppers in garden

    Success in growing many vegetable crops is driven by warm temperatures. Not surprisingly, warm-season vegetables grow best in warm weather. Here are the key temperatures you need to keep in mind to successfully grow warm-season vegetables: Tender and very tender vegetables Warm-season crops can be classified as tender and very tender. Tender vegetables can take […] More

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    How to Grow Salsa

    Salsa ingredients1

    Salsa is a delicious and versatile condiment, dip that can be enjoyed with a wide variety of foods. Although it’s most commonly paired with chips, salsa can also be used as a topping for tacos, eggs, grilled meats, or salads. If you’re a fan of this tasty dip, why not try growing your salsa ingredients? […] More

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    Home Fruit Garden Maintenace Calendar

    Apple blossoms

    Spring checklist for fruit growers Fruit Tree Care Products from Amazon: Early summer checklist for fruit growers Mid-summer checklist for fruit growers Fruit Trees Crop-by-Crop Tips Click on any of the following crops to see complete growing and harvesting information and tips. Apple Pear Plum Cherry Apricot Peach and Nectarine Fig Bushes, Brambles, and Soft […] More

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    Fastest Growing Vegetable Varieties

    cherry tomatoes

    Most vegetables include cultivars or varieties that are quicker maturing than others. Fast-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 fastest. Fastest-growing vegetable varieties Choose the […] More

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    Crop Rotation in Small Vegetable Garden

    Planting beds

    Crop rotation is the practice of changing or alternating the crops in a given area of the garden. Rotating crops will stem the depletion of soil nutrients and prevent or reduce the build-up of pest and disease problems. Crops that are heavy feeders and require more soil nutrients can be rotated with light feeders and […] More