Kitchen Garden Almanac
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October Vegetable Garden
Early October is the right time to begin thinking about the coming frost and cold weather. How will you extend the season if your summer crops are not yet ready for harvest? Many warm-weather crops and all cool-weather crops can withstand the first or second or even third frost with a little protection. Extending the […] More
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November Vegetable Garden
November is a busy month in the kitchen garden. Many gardeners would say November is the most important month–now is the time to prepare the soil for next spring and afterward put the garden to bed for the winter. (Of course, winter vegetable gardening can be very rewarding. So if you are continuing the fresh […] More
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December Vegetable Garden
December brings early winter, but not much of a slowdown in the all-year vegetable garden. Cool-season crops planted early in autumn will come to harvest in the next several weeks. (If crops have slowed down, don’t fret. Once daylight drops to less than 10 hours, cool-weather vegetables slip into a no-growth mode. Growth will resume […] More
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May Vegetable Garden Things To Do
May is the month to get your summer vegetable garden growing in earnest. Warm-season crops can be sown in the garden or transplants set out. The soil in most vegetable gardens in the Northern Hemisphere should now be warm enough for summer crops. If you live where nights can get chilly, keep row covers at […] More
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May Vegetable Garden Zone-by-Zone
May is the month to get your summer vegetable garden planted and growing. Almost all warm-season crops can either be sown or transplanted into the garden by mid-May. If you live in a short growing season region (Zones 3 to 6) keep crop-protecting devices such as row covers and plastic hoop tunnels and row covers […] More
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Spring Fruit Calendar and Maintenance
Spring is the time for planting fruit trees, bushes, brambles, and other soft fruits. The best location for fruit is a place in full sun, with deep, well-drained, humus-rich soil. Grow fruits away from frequent breezes or winds and away from low spots where cold air and frost can settle. Bare-root and balled-and-burlapped fruits will […] More
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April Vegetable Garden
April is a month of quick transition in the vegetable garden. Frost and cold will persist in northern gardens. Spring will arrive in most southern and coastal gardens. When the crocus and narcissus bloom, the soil is growing warm enough to begin working in the vegetable garden. A sure sign that winter in your area […] More
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April Vegetable Garden Zone-by-Zone
April is a time of transition in the vegetable garden. Weather extremes from snow flurries to hot weather can occur in the Northern Hemisphere. In cold-winter regions, spring weather may be weeks away. In warm-winter regions, the last frost may already have passed. April is named for Aprilis, the Latin word meaning to open. This […] More
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March Vegetable Garden Zone-by-Zone
March is a month of great transition in the vegetable garden. Spring in the northern hemisphere will arrive on March 20. In the warmest regions–United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Plant Hardiness Zones 9 through 11–warming temperatures have arrived. Planting can go forward this month. In USDA Zones 7 and 8, preparation for spring planting […] More
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Vegetable Garden Tips for April
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
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Garden Tips for October
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
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September Vegetable Garden
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
Stephen Albert
