The seasons come and go at different times of the year depending upon where you live—Northern Hemisphere or Southern Hemisphere and the latitude within those regions. Early spring might start in February in Southern California and early May in Maine. The closer you live to the equator the less winter temperatures will play a role…
Calendar
Asparagus Growing and Care Calendar
Asparagus is among the earliest and tastiest crops each year. Perennial asparagus beds can produce spears for decades and decades with proper care through the years. Plant asparagus where there is plenty of sun in the spring and the soil is rich in organic matter and well drained. As a guide, you will need about…
Mid-Summer Fruit Calendar and Maintenance
Fruits are ripening by mid-summer. Keep fruit trees and vines thoroughly watered; avoid letting plants dry out, especially newly planted fruits and fruits growing in containers. Scavenging birds and insects will be looking for an opening as fruits ripen. Use bird netting or reflective tape to scare birds away; spray away insects with a strong…
Early Summer Fruit Calendar and Maintenance
Most soft fruits–strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, and currants–are bearing or nearing maturity by early summer. Tree fruits–apples, pears, plums, peaches and nectarines–in early summer are developing fruit. Attention should be given to thinning, pruning, and watering. Here is a fruit-by-fruit growing guide for early summer: Support fruit trees. Support heavily laden branches with stout stakes…
Vegetable Garden Calendar and Map Keeping
Keep a vegetable garden calendar and map. Use the calendar to record when you start seeds, when you plant in the garden, and when you expect to harvest each crop. Use the garden map to record where you plant each crop or plan to plant later in the season. Keeping track of the garden in…
Cold Frame Calendar
As the seasons progress there are several uses for a cold frame. • Start cool-temperature spring vegetable seeds and seedlings in late winter. • Start summer warm-temperature vegetable seeds and seedlings beginning in early- or mid-spring. • Start fall and winter crops under shade cover (replace the frame’s glass or plastic sash with framed shade…
Vegetable Garden 12-Month To-Do Calendar
One of the most challenging aspects in gardening is to get things started at the proper time. Success in the garden often depends on timing. Planning the work ahead is important. A simple checklist can be used to make sure that everything is started and carried out at the proper time–starting in spring with preparing…
Potato Harvest Calendar
The length of a potato’s growing season varies according to climate and variety. You can choose cultivars for each of three harvest periods. “First early potatoes”—grow rapidly, take little space, and are harvested early to midsummer when they are about the size of an egg. “Second early potatoes”—are midseason potatoes that grow rapidly, take little…