Vegetable garden planting is simply based on the premise that cool weather crops need cool weather to mature and warm weather crops need warm weather. Most vegetable gardeners need a year or two of trial and error plantings and attentive record keeping to know when is the best time to plant in their garden. To […] More
Seed packets and seed catalogs can help you decide which crops and varieties to grow in your garden. The front of a seed packet or a seed catalog entry will picture the plant at maturity. The back of the packet will describe the plant and where it will grow. Here are common seed packet and […] More
Leaf mold is shredded flakes of partially decomposed leaves and tree litter. It is brownish black and on its way to becoming humus, one of the building blocks of great soil. Leaf mold can be used as a soil conditioner or as mulch in vegetable gardens and other planting beds. Leaf mold enriches and fertilizes […] More
Cloches and hot caps can be used to protect individual plants or a few plants at a time. A cloche or hot cap used at the beginning or end of the growing season when there are big swings in the daytime and nighttime temperature can add 3 to 4 weeks to the growing season. A […] More
Hardiness or cold-hardiness is a term used to denote a plant’s ability to withstand cold temperatures. Cold-hardiness commonly specifies the minimum temperature to which a plant can be exposed and still be able to resume growing. At the end of the growing season, tender and very tender vegetables must be protected from cold or they […] More
Some vegetables and fruits you grow in your garden are higher in nutritional value and are better at improving your health than others—these have been dubbed superfoods. Superfoods are easy to grow. Any beginning gardener can grow superfoods. These crops are high in nutritional value and provide important chemical compounds—called phytochemicals—that can help ward off […] More
You can easily grow superfoods in your garden and quickly prepare and serve them in minutes. Superfoods are high in nutritional value and provide important chemical compounds—called phytochemicals—that fight disease and improve health. Superfoods have been around for thousands of years, but the term has gained popularity over the past two decades. Superfoods from the […] More
Earthworms help create humus—a dark brown-black type of soil which holds important nutrients in place for plant growth and use. Earthworms also help create good soil structure; their burrows open up the soil and create aeration and drainage channels. Earthworm castings or excrement are rich in nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium the key minerals needed for […] More
Intensive vegetable gardening is the name given to a way of using garden space and soil nutrients to produce high yields of flavorful crops. The intensive planting method of vegetable gardening is perhaps the most efficient and effective of all growing methods. It is both resource-conserving and sustainable. The origins of this method can be […] More
Hardy is a term used to describe a plant’s ability to survive in a specific climate zone—even through the cold of winter. Commonly gardeners use the term “hardy” to describe a plant that can survive a freeze, frost, or cold snap. Half-hardy is a term used to describe plants that can survive only limited or […] More
Clay soils are too wet or too dry, slow to drain, slow to warm in the spring, and slow to release nutrients to plant roots. The best way to improve clay soil is to add several inches of organic matter such as aged compost to planting beds regularly—at least twice a year–and work it into […] More
A microclimate is a small area with slightly different temperature or climate than the surrounding larger area. Every garden has microclimates; microclimates can be created by hills and low spots, structures and fences, and even the shade of trees or tall plants. You can use the microclimates in your garden to help vegetables produce a […] More
Stephen Albert