Celery is ready to harvest 85 to 120 days after transplanting depending on the variety. Celery is finicky and can be a challenge to grow. The optimal temperatures for growing celery are 65° to 75°F (18°-24°C) during the day and 60° to 65°F (15°-18°C) at night. Related articles: Temperatures must stay above 55°F during the […] More
Peanuts are a warm-weather crop. They require a long frost-free growing season to mature. If you can grow melons in your garden, you can likely grow peanuts. Start peanuts in the garden after all danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to 70°F (21°C) or greater. Peanuts can be started indoors but […] More
Eat sweet peppers raw in salads, or eat them steamed, stir-fried, roasted, grilled or roasted, or stuffed. Use them in casseroles or rice dishes. Sweet peppers are in season from late spring through late summer. Types of sweet peppers Sweet peppers are warm-season annuals in temperate regions and perennials in tropical climates. Sweet peppers are […] More
Rutabaga is a cool-weather crop. Sow rutabaga seed in late winter or very early spring for an early summer harvest. Direct sow seed in the garden 16 to 10 weeks before the last frost in spring. In warm regions, it’s best to sow rutabaga in mid-summer for a fall and winter harvest and use. Plant […] More
New potatoes make for sweet, moist eating. You can serve them steamed, sautéed, boiled, baked, roasted, or grilled. They can be served tossed in butter or olive oil or as a dip with butter or sour cream or horseradish or served as a side dish with chicken, lamb, steaks or burgers, or grilled fish. New […] More
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
Radishes grow best in the cooler time of the year. Most are hardy to spring and autumn chills; a few varieties can withstand the summer heat. Sow seeds for small early varieties 4 to 6 weeks before the last frost. Plant midseason or summer varieties in mid to late spring. Late varieties—called winter radishes—should be […] More
Broccoli is a cool-season annual commonly treated as a two-season crop with spring and late summer planting. Broccoli seedlings are usually transplanted into the garden after being started indoors. Seeds are sown indoors or in a cold frame 5 to 6 weeks before they are set in the garden. In spring, give broccoli an early […] More
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
Beets are commonly grown in spring, summer, and autumn. Beets may be seeded as early in spring as the ground can be worked. Make successive sowings at intervals of about 3 weeks in order to have a continuous supply of young, tender beets throughout the season. Beets are well adapted to grow in many regions. […] More
Chard—Swiss chard—is a cool and warm-season crop. It will tolerate frost and keep growing in summer. The optimum soil temperature for germination is 50° to 8°5F (10°-29°C). Direct—seeding is the most common way to start chard. Sow seed in the garden 2 to 4 weeks before the last average frost date in spring. To get […] More
Here are seed starting tips–both indoors and outdoors–and the schedule for April zone-by-zone. If you are unfamiliar with the USDA zone where you live, look at the minimum annual temperature guideline following each zone. Soil and Seed Starting Mix Getting seed started indoors is essentially the same as sowing seed outdoors directly in the garden. […] More
Stephen Albert