Sometimes there will be problems in the vegetable garden. There is always a cause and there is often a cure or control. Pest problems are often easy to spot: leaves or fruit look chewed or puckered from sucking pests. Diseases can be fungal, bacterial, or viral; often symptoms may look the same–brown or yellow spots […] More
Many herbs have edible flowers that can be used as a colorful garnish for salads and sweet and savory dishes. Add herb flowers to delicate salads and salad herbs such as lamb’s lettuce and chervil. Tip: toss the leaves of a salad you plan to add herbs to first then add dressing then add edible […] More
Lemony herbs—lemon flavored and scented—are easy to grow and add a tangy zest to many dishes. Fresh leaves are commonly torn and added directly to salads and main dishes as a seasoning or garnish. Leaves and some flowers can be steeped in teas or blended into oils and vinegar. All can be preserved for later […] More
Cabbage is a hardy, cool-season crop. Cabbage is best planted in early spring or mid-to-late summer. Cabbage thrives in temperatures between 65°F and 75°F (18-24°C) and can withstand cold temperatures down to 25°F (-4°C). Cabbage seedlings can be set in the garden 4 weeks before the last frost in spring. You can sow cabbage seeds […] More
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
The weather will direct your efforts in the garden in September — early autumn. While the first day of autumn will arrive on September 22, this month may seem like an extension of summer in many southern gardens. The first cold weather and even frost can come this month in northern gardens. Now is the […] More
August is a month of transition in the garden. Nights start to grow shorter but days are hot and dry. Early summer blooms begin to fade while buds for autumn blooms are now appearing and will break soon. Pests and diseases in the garden often peak this month. Roses and perennials need deadheading in August. […] More
Each month, we bring you zone-by-zone garden care and planting tips. July in the Northern Hemisphere is mid-summer and nearly every garden is experiencing warm or hot weather. For July, our gardening tips are applicable in all zones. Here, you’ll find planting and care tips for trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, bulbs, the lawn, and container […] More
Summer arrives toward the end of this month. Now is the time–before hot weather arrives–to finish your spring garden chores. After weeding beds and borders, sprinkle slow-release organic fertilizer around each plant then add an aged compost mulch across beds. Aged compost will work itself into the soil through the summer improving both moisture retention […] More
May is the month most gardens begin to look more and more like the summer garden. By mid-month, most warm-season annuals and perennials can be sown or transplanted out in most gardens without worry. May is the month to get shrubs and trees planted; you want these big-rooted plants to get a foothold before the […] More
Early to mid-spring is a time of transition in the garden. Weather extremes from snow to hot weather can occur in the Northern Hemisphere in April. In cold-winter regions, spring weather may still be several weeks away. In warm-winter regions, the last frost has already passed, and gardens are warming. The timing of planting is […] More
March is a month of transition in the garden. March brings the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Spring for the northern hemisphere will arrive on March 20, the vernal equinox. There will be exactly 12 daylight hours from sunrise to sunset on that date. In the northern hemisphere, every day hence will […] More
Stephen Albert