You need to get your timing right from the start for a successful harvest. Plants need long, hot days for the bulbs to swell to useful eating size. Plant them too late, and all you’ll have at harvest time is foliage with little to no bulb. So many of our favorite dishes start with onions (Allium cepa), finely chopped, and sweating out their umami flavor in hot butter or oil....
This article will provide all the important details, plus a few tips on how to use up your harvest. I love the early summer because the weather is lovely, the whole season stretches out before you, and most importantly… it’s the beginning of gooseberry season! In my area, the end of June means it’s time to start putting these flavorful fruits into pretty much every meal. That means chopped gooseberries and nuts on my morning yogurt, pickled gooseberries on my afternoon sandwich, and grilled gooseberries on my evening fish....
The problem may be due to other factors, like the amount of moisture available in the soil and the state of the roots. You may be all too familiar with this scenario. You have lovingly tended your tomato plants and watched the first delectable fruits of your labor develop…only to see them ruined by ugly brown patches on the blossom end. This is the dreaded and misnamed blossom-end rot. Why misnamed?...
The peony, Paeonia spp., is a sun-loving perennial with varieties that produce pink, purple, red, white, and yellow flowers. Its climate preference is for USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. Some brides plan spring weddings, risking the whims of the weather to ensure their bouquets and table settings dazzle guests with masses of ravishing, silky-soft peony blooms. I’ve met a gardener who lives well inside a no-frost climate who is so determined to grow swathes of these elegant flowers, she takes drastic steps....
When it comes to buying a grow tent it can be a little overwhelming for indoor gardeners because of how many different manufacturers, sizes, features are available. So I’ve taken the time to write this review in order to present one of the best built and low-cost tents on the market and help you figure out how to choose the best grow tent for your indoor garden. Table of Contents...
Cucumber plants are one of the easiest and most productive crops a gardener can cultivate. They spring from the ground and climb high up into trellises or across fences. Some even spread their vines over the ground and hide their cucumbers under wide dark leaves shading their fruit from the sun. For any gardener wishing to grow cucumbers, they should try growing a few plants to ensure plenty of pollination and thus a bountiful harvest!...
In our guide to growing forsythia we talk about how to cultivate this shrub in the home landscape. Forsythia is a deciduous woody shrub that thrives in full sun and average, well-draining soil. It’s an iconic harbinger of spring in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-8, where its masses of yellow blooms make for a dramatic yearly display. This shrub is appreciated for being a hardy, fast grower that requires little maintenance. However, it’s not invincible, and sometimes less than favorable conditions pose a serious threat to its well-being....
Don’t worry too much if you don’t understand right away, lots of gardeners have gone before us and figured out what our plants are trying to say. If only plants could speak, they would warn us when we’re not giving them what they need or when they’re not feeling good, and we could fix it right away. Good news! They can speak! Unfortunately, they only speak plant and most of us aren’t fluent…...
Senecio serpens is a popular filler plant that jazzes up any garden. The cylindrical leaves are dusted with blue-grey “chalk,” ergo the name Chalksticks. They stick straight up in the air while the plant grows wide. It practically gives the appearance of a sparse shag rug. Table of Contents Originally from South Africa, Chalksticks is easy to grow and maintain. With the steps we outline below, your succulent will be flourishing in no time....
But fertilizing is one element that you must pay attention to if you want to achieve an abundant crop. Next to pruning, it’s probably the thing that will have the biggest impact on your berry harvest. Munching on a ripe blackberry is a sensory experience that is hard to replicate: the snap between your teeth then the rush of juice, and the crack of the tiny seeds. Blackberry bushes are pretty reliable....
Table of Contents These days, mint is everywhere. It’s in our chewing gum, tea, foods, and God knows our breath would be less than ideal if it wasn’t in our toothpastes. Because of this versatility, it should come as no surprise that mint is one of the most popular plants to have ever been discovered, and that peppermint is the most common cultivar that people grow. The benefits of mint are extensive to say the least, so I’m sure that it has the ability to benefit you in at least one way....
1. Enough Sun Vegetables grow best in full sun. Provide at least 6 hours of sunlight daily to your plants. Exposure to the sun makes the plant healthy and improve their resistance to pests and diseases. 2. Right Soil pH Check out what is the right soil pH range for the plants you are growing. Most vegetables grow in soil with a pH close to neutral which is within the range of 6 – 7....
Window boxes are a popular choice for urban gardeners due to their small size and efficient location. But the options for what to plant window boxes can overwhelming to you, so we are here to help! Window boxes serve multiple purposes, from pure decoration and aesthetics to practical gardening. In this article, we’ll look at three herbs and three decorative plants you should consider planting in your window boxes. Listen to this post on the Epic Gardening Podcast...
Some gardeners are tight on space, and may want to select a cultivar known for its smaller stature. So you’ve made the brilliant decision to grow your own artichokes, a unique and rewarding type of backyard vegetable. But long before you pick your homegrown crop, you’ll want to pick the right artichoke cultivar. And you have many options when it comes to choosing a variety. You will want to choose one that has a low chill requirement if you have mild winters....
Native to Madagascar, areca palms are popular as both indoor and outdoor plants. The foliage looks appealing and gives a tropical vibe to homes and offices. Botanical Name: Dypsis lutescens Common Names: Golden cane palm, Yellow palm, Butterfly palm Learn about snake plant benefits here Areca Palm Benefits and Facts 1. Improves Air Humidity Do you know breathing dry air can cause eye itching, skin irritation, skin dryness, sore throat, and tightness around the joints?...
The blossoms are short lived, but with diligent deadheading they will bloom prolifically. And don’t toss away the flowers, this traditional medicinal herb makes a delightful tea or infused oil. Calendula is one of my very favorite herbs to grow in the garden. The bright, cheerful flowers provide a splash of color in the autumn months and bring light to even the dreariest of chilly days. On crisp fall mornings, I like to stroll through my little patch of golden flowers and each day I am pleasantly surprised with fresh blooms....
Aloes are quirky-looking plants that every gardener should try at least once. These succulents are great for beginners because they thrive on neglect. Aloes also help clean the air and are highly medicinal, particularly the well-known aloe vera. Perhaps one of the most overlooked benefits of aloes is that they’re very easy to propagate. Not only is propagation an exciting project, it results in lots of plants and saved money. Whether you’re propagating aloe to fill out your garden or make gifts to share, we guarantee you’ll have fun!...
Luckily, there are plenty of ways to keep and preserve their delicious flavor for months to come. At summer’s end, we’re often left with a surplus of produce from the veggie patch that needs to be picked and stored before inclement weather sets in – like tomatoes. We enjoy their ripe red fruit from midsummer on, but they don’t fare well when there’s a chill in the air. Toward the end of the growing season, vine ripening slows and then stops....
Lettuce has been a garden staple for ages. Today’s cultivars were bred over time from bitter, prickly wild lettuce to the sweet or crunchy varieties we know today. Grown as an annual, lettuce is of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds as well. As growing lettuce takes practice to perfect its place in the garden, finding the right lettuce companion plants will help you achieve great garden success!...
Spruce budworms are some of the most geographically spread and destructive insects in North America. Multiple species of conifers are susceptible to moderate to severe defoliation by them. If you have hiked or driven through forests that have large patches of brown evergreen trees, you probably have seen their impact. However, because spruce budworms are native insects, they also play an important role in the ecosystem. According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, dead white spruce and fir trees, which the worms leave behind, are particularly suitable habitats for cavity-nesting birds, rabbits, weasels and other wildlife....
