Welsh onions are easy to grow. They are cool-season crops. They are best planted in spring or autumn. Welsh onions are mild-flavored members of the onion family. They can be added raw to salads and soups. They can be stir-fried and sauteed and served with beef or chicken. They can be used as garnish. Welsh […] More
Harvest melons when small cracks appear in the stem where it joins the fruit. Once the cracks circle the stem and the stem looks shriveled, the melon will break off with a slight twist. If more than light effort is needed to remove it from the vine, it is not ripe. Related article: When to […] More
Harvest snap beans (also known as green or string beans) before the seeds swell in the pods when they are no more than the diameter of a pencil. Smaller beans can be served as tender, baby snap beans. When to harvest snap beans Related articles: How to harvest snap beans How to store snap beans […] More
Cucumber soup is a delicious summer soup served chilled. It’s cooling, light, and quiet. There is a simple way to make cucumber soup, here it is: whirl two peeled medium cucumbers and an 7- or 8-ounce container of plain yogurt in the blender until smooth; add salt and pepper to taste; chill until cold and […] More
Vegetable crops will begin to take longer to ripen in September. Give melons, limas, and tomatoes more time to ripen naturally. Eggplants are ready for harvest when they are shiny. Beans, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, and summer squash will not ripen or mature once they are picked. They will keep for a week or two in […] More
Magnolias are trees or shrubs commonly grown for their magnificient blossoms in white, pink, red, purple, and sometimes yellow. Depending on the species or cultivar they can vary from about 10 feet tall to 80 feet tall and often just as wide. Magnolias appear in varied sizes and shapes. Magnolias include both evergreen and deciduous […] More
Starting plants from seed is easy. You can start vegetables, herbs, and flowers from seed. Seed starting requires a bit of time and space. The effort will be rewarding. Many more varieties of vegetables and flowers–both annuals and perennials– are available in seed than are young seedlings or starts offered at garden centers or nurseries. […] More
There are three ways to get your vegetable garden growing: Starting seed indoors will give you the following: Good Products for Seed Starting Success at Amazon: Crops best started from seed in the garden Some crops are not easily transplanted into the garden. These crops simply want to be handled as little as possible; they […] More
Vegetable seeds can be sown outdoors directly in the garden as soon as the soil is workable in spring. Here’s a test for workable soil: squeeze a handful of soil in the palm of your hand; when you open your hand if the soil remains a cold, wet clump, it is not workable. You should […] More
Starting vegetable seeds indoors will give you a head start on the growing season–extend your growing season–and make your garden more productive. Starting seeds indoors eliminates one of the biggest unpredictables of vegetable gardening–poor outdoor germination conditions. Light, temperature, water, nutrients, and spacing are planned and regulated indoors; seeds find it much easier to grow […] More
Seeds sprout through a process called germination. Different vegetables have different germination requirements. It’s important to know the germination requirements of the seeds you are planting to ensure success. Germination–depending upon the type of seed–requires just the right conditions for growth–usually an abundant supply of water, an adequate supply of oxygen, and the proper temperature. […] More
Broccoli is an edible flower. Broccoli is a cool-season crop. Grow broccoli so that it comes to harvest when temperatures average no more than 75°F (23°C) each day. Broccoli heads are clusters of tightly packed flower buds waiting to open. Broccoli is a hardy biennial, grown as an annual. It is a member of the cabbage […] More
Stephen Albert