We’ve all heard that compost is practically the be-all and end-all of organic gardening, and I’m willing to accept that, but can you grow vegetables in only compost? This was a question I asked myself a few years ago, and now with a few more years of gardening experience, I’m in the camp of yes, … Read more
Zucchini plants are heavy feeders. Once they start growing their first true leaves, they take off and grow rapidly, and need enough nutrients to support that growth and push heavy blooms. There are so many fertilizers out there, even seasoned gardeners can be paralyzed with choice. What’s good for zucchinis? Can you use any kind … Read more
Parthenocarpic cucumbers are cucumber varieties which don’t require pollination to produce cucumbers. Sometimes described as self-pollinating, this is technically not true; as unpollinated female flowers will still produce fruit, and because they are not pollinated, you also get seedless cucumbers. But what kinds of parthenocarpic cucumbers can you grow? I have a few favorites, but … Read more
Herbs are the plants in the garden that just keep giving. A healthy thyme plant will season countless dishes, and if you want to share your love of fresh thyme with others, you can propagate them with cuttings and give them away and use any extra cuttings to increase the size and sustainability of your … Read more
You walk through your garden one lovely morning and everything is going well until you notice some green tomatoes sitting on the dirt underneath your tomato plants. It’s a tomato grower’s worst nightmare, especially when you’ve been looking forward all season to taste your own homegrown tomatoes. Fortunately, there are some things you can do … Read more
This spring I decided to plant a lot of beets. Unfortunately, I kind of forgot about them and ended up with a bunch of woody beets. This is a relatively common problem with beets, and there are several possible reasons for it, so I made a checklist and found out for myself why I had … Read more