Hand pollination is the manual transfer of pollen from the stamen of one plant to the pistil of another–that is from a male flower to a female flower. Members of the Cucurbit family–squash, melons, pumpkins, and cucumbers–often have pollination problems because the male flowers commonly open days before the female flowers and so often drop…
Tips
Vegetable Seed Germination Special Requirements
Different vegetables have different germination requirements. It’s important to know the germination requirements of the seeds you are planting to ensure success. Viable seeds are alive; they contain an embryo, stored food and are surrounded by a seed coat. A seed will germinate or begin to grow when soil moisture, temperature, and oxygen, as well…
Crop Rotation in Small Vegetable Garden
Crop rotation means moving vegetables around the garden to maintain soil fertility. By rotating crops from one spot to another each season—or even in the same season, you can preserve and even boost nutrients in the soil. Differing crops use different amounts of soil nutrients and a few crops add nutrients to the soil. How…
Vegetable Planting and Soil Temperature
Vegetable seeds and seedlings require minimum soil temperatures to germinate and grow. Seeds and seedlings require optimal soil temperatures to thrive. Soil temperature triggers not only seed germination but is an important factor in soil chemistry. Soil chemistry includes the release (dissolution) of mineral nutrients in soil moisture. Mineral nutrients are essential for vegetable plant…
How to Make a New Garden Planting Bed
A garden planting bed is home to your vegetables, herbs, and flowers. You want a planting bed in which plants will thrive and you want a planting bed that is easy to make and easy to maintain. Making a new garden planting bed should be a one-time investment in sweat equity. Once a new bed…
How to Grow Onion Sets
Grow your own onion sets from seed. It is not difficult, does not require much time, and can put you ahead in both time and money. Onion sets are small, dry onion bulbs grown the previous season but not allowed to mature. Planted the second season they produce an early crop of bulb onions in…
Cucumber Harvest Tips
Cucumbers are best picked green, firm, and moderate in size–as soon as they are edible and usable size. Home-grown cucumbers should be picked slightly smaller than the size you’d find at the market. Smaller cucumbers will be just as tasty as larger cucumbers. Never allow cucumbers to mature on the plant. If cucumber fruits mature…
Clouds and Predicting the Weather
Clouds often indicate weather changes. The source of clouds is water that evaporates into the air. The water can come from oceans, lakes, and rivers. Plants also give off water vapor. Clouds form when water vapor cools and condenses. Condensed water droplets ride air currents as clouds. Water droplets riding air currents may (1) simply…
Whiteflies Natural Insect Pest Control
Whiteflies look like very tiny white moths. Like their close relatives aphids, they suck juices from tender plant leaves. Whiteflies congregate in large number on the undersides of leaves and fly up in a cloud when disturbed. Whiteflies are found year round in warm climates; in colder climates they are seen in the summer. They…
How to Store Harvest, Cure, and Store Winter Squash
Harvest winter squashes when they are mature. Winter squash is mature when its rind cannot be scratched with a thumbnail. Winter squashes include Acorn, Butternut, Hubbard, Banana, Buttercup, Spaghetti, and pumpkins. Winter squash refers to squash planted in spring, grown in summer, harvested in fall, and stored for winter use. Winter squashes require more days…
