Tips
Latest stories
More stories
-
Vegetable Watering Tips
Water is essential to the optimum growth of vegetables; the water content of most vegetables is nearly 90 percent. Providing the right amount of moisture to the vegetable garden is as important as supplying the right amount of plant food. When to water seeds, seedlings, and established plants • Seeds. Water to the age of […] More
-
Vegetable Harvest Times
Timing is everything when it comes to the home vegetable garden harvest. Once vegetables are picked they immediately begin to lose flavor, tenderness, and nutritional value. Harvest your crops as close to the time you plan to serve them, within an hour or less of serving time is best. How do you know when it […] More
-
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 […] More
-
Cauliflower Growing Quick Tips
Cauliflower can be finicky in the garden. Follower these cauliflower growing tips for a good harvest. Sowing and Transplanting Cauliflower Cauliflower requires slow, steady growth in cool weather. Hot weather will cause cauliflower to bolt or button up (cold weather will also cause cauliflower to button—not form full-sized heads). Start cauliflower in early spring 4-6 […] More
-
Growing Asparagus Quick Tips
Asparagus is a perennial plant that can grow for 15 to 20 spears. Asparagus can be grown from seeds or crowns. Here are asparagus growing basics: Sowing asparagus seed and planting crowns (roots) If you grow asparagus from seed, your first harvest will come in three years. If you grow asparagus from crowns (established roots), […] More
-
Kale Growing Quick Tips
Kale is a cool-season crop. Plant kale in early spring and late summer. Take these kale growing tips to the garden: Sowing Kale Sow kale seeds in the garden 5 weeks before to 2 weeks before the last expected frost in spring for a summer crop. If you are in a very cold region you […] More
-
Growing Herbs for Cooking
Herbs for cooking are plants whose leaves, seeds, fruits, flowers, or other parts are used fresh or dried for flavoring food. (A spice–broadly speaking–denotes a flavoring derived from the seed, fruit, bark, or other parts of a plant grown in warm, tropical regions.) A “potherb” is a plant you cook in a pot. Herbs generally […] More
-
in Cereals & Grains, Plant, Tips
Sweet Corn Growing Tips
Grow corn in the warm time of the year. Direct sow corn after all danger of frost has passed. Make succession sowings for a continuous harvest throughout the growing season. Three types of sweet corn Corn growing starts with deciding which type of corn to plant: standard, sugar-enhanced, or super-sweet. Standard sweet corn varieties (sometimes […] More
-
Lettuce Growing Tips
Lettuce grows best in cool weather and sunny locations. Spring, mid-summer, and early fall are the times of year to plant lettuce, but you can grow lettuce in the summer even in warm regions if you choose heat-tolerant and bolt-resistant varieties. There are lettuce cultivars that are ready for picking in 45 days and others […] More
-
Spinach Growing Tips
Spinach is a cool-weather crop that grows best when the daytime temperature remains consistently below 75°F–commonly in spring or fall. Young plants will bolt when exposed to temperatures below 40°F, but mature plants can withstand temperatures as low as 20°F. Spinach is ready for picking in about 40 days; for a continuous harvest, sow spinach […] More
-
Potato Growing Tips
Grow potatoes from whole potatoes, small potatoes, or a cut piece of a larger potato. Potatoes grow from the dormant buds–called “eyes”–on the surface of other potatoes. When the buds sprout, they develop into new plants. About two weeks after sprouting, the main stem and first leaves of the new potato plant will appear above ground. Preparing to Plant […] More
-
Pea Growing Tips
Grow peas during the winter in mild-winter regions. In cold-winter regions grow peas in the spring and sometimes in the fall. Peas and temperature Spring sowing peas: The optimum seed starting soil temperature for peas is 75°F; this makes growing peas for fall harvest a strong option when they are planted 55 to 70 days […] More