Join our gardening family to receive the latest tips. JOIN ON SUBSTACK
One of the most overlooked opportunities in the vegetable garden happens in mid to late summer. Many gardeners think planting season is over once spring crops are in the ground—but that’s not true. In fact, summer is one of the best times to plant for a productive fall harvest. After more than 30 years of…
One of the biggest shifts in my gardening over the past 30 years has been moving away from the calendar and focusing on soil temperature instead. The difference is dramatic. Plants emerge faster, grow more evenly, and suffer far fewer failures when you match planting time to actual soil conditions. Air temperature can be misleading….
Fresh-picked Sweet corn is one of the great rewards of a summer vegetable garden. Homegrown sweet corn is sweeter, juicier, and more flavorful than almost anything you can buy at the grocery store because sugars begin converting to starch immediately after harvest. After growing corn for decades in California home gardens, I’ve learned that sweet…
Few garden vegetables are as rewarding—or as frustrating—as Tomato plants. After growing tomatoes for more than 30 years in California gardens, I’ve learned that most tomato problems trace back to a handful of preventable mistakes. The good news is that tomatoes are resilient plants. Once you understand what they need—warm soil, deep roots, steady moisture,…
There’s nothing more encouraging in a vegetable garden than harvesting your first crop quickly. Fast-growing vegetables reward new gardeners with early success and help experienced gardeners keep beds productive all season long. I’ve relied on quick-maturing crops for more than 30 years in my Sonoma Valley garden. They fill gaps between long-season vegetables, provide steady…
Most gardens don’t fail because they don’t produce enough food—they fail because everything produces at once. You get a wave of lettuce, then beans, then cucumbers, then nothing. The garden feels abundant for a short burst, then suddenly quiet. Succession planting solves that problem. But there’s a deeper layer most gardeners miss: succession planting only…
Subscribe today to get our weekly recipe newsletter! You don’t want to miss out!
