We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. This can be one of the most destructive diseases of tomato plants, and it is a particular problem in areas prone to extended periods of wet, humid weather. Both Septoria leaf spot and early blight manifest as spots on the leaves, but it is easy to tell them apart if you know what to look for....
But to harvest the most abundant and delicious leafy greens from this member of the Brassicaceae family, it’s important to provide adequate spacing between these leafy veggies. What exactly are these magic numbers, the number of inches between plants that will encourage your crop to thrive while still allowing you to make efficient use of your garden’s footprint? Those magic numbers depend on a few different factors. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
Not only do you get off your butt and out of the house, you get some exercise and you get to appreciate the natural beauty of growing your own food. You get to witness the various stages of plant growth. At the end, you have the reward of wonderful tasting food, which is not only better quality than you can get at the supermarket, but even perhaps better for you....
Soil is actually an incredibly complex ecosystem, with billions of organisms found in a single teaspoonful. These organisms range from fungi and bacteria to earthworms, nematodes, and insects. Good soil health is critical for plants to survive and thrive, so the survival of humans indirectly rests on the health of the soil. This is so important that there are government programs working today to improve soil health. A number of these projects are specialized for urban areas and include funding to study heavy metal toxicity in the ground in New York....
And now you’re wondering which plants are the best companions for this cherished cruciferous plant. There are a wide selection of buddies available for your kale, and I recommend that you pick not just one, but several of them. Diversity, diversity, diversity – always an important mantra in the garden. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Tagetes erecta, or African marigolds, belong to the same genus as other marigolds, and they share many similar features and care requirements. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. African marigolds can thrive in many types of soil, have a long blooming season, and are incredibly hardy. These marigolds have also been used for thousands of years by Spanish and pre-Spanish civilizations for food, medicine, dyes, and rituals....
Okay, that’s a slight exaggeration – but we all know spinach loves to shrink, which means you need a lot of it if you want to serve it to more than a few people, or if you want to eat it regularly. And why wouldn’t you? Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) is a good source of manganese, folate, and Vitamin C, and it’s an excellent source of Vitamin K and Vitamin A....
Here’s why: Recently harvested potatoes have a tenderness, a silky texture, and a depth of flavor that makes me look forward to growing these crops every year. And even a small space like a raised bed or a large container can yield a respectable return on all sorts of potato varieties in dazzling colors, with a variety of uses in the kitchen. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
The flavorful leaves are rich in essential oils, and make a delicious addition to eggs, poultry, seafood, tomatoes, and much more. Tarragon is one of the first herbs to break winter dormancy, sending up shoots in late winter to early spring. Cultivation and care is simple and easy making it an excellent choice for the beginning gardener or herbalist. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
Others are far less clear, leaving you scratching your head about how to stick them in the ground. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. In this guide, we’ll make the situation more clear – and we’ll also explain why you can plant upside down without worrying. Get ready to discover the following: To make things easier, it helps to know a bit of anatomy, so get out your notebook or gardening journal and let’s start anatomy class!...
Whether you’re an old hand at growing and feasting on this vegetal delicacy already, or the idea of batter-dipped and deep-fried cubes, stewed strips, or crispy raw slices of the stuff is entirely new to you, this is one vegetable that you don’t want to miss out on! Depending on your climate, you may be able to plan for a spring harvest followed by another in the fall if you plant more....
But along with folksy celebrations and fairy tales, pumpkins can help you to be more imaginative in the kitchen. While most are familiar with pie pumpkins, there are many other delicious ways to enjoy these members of the Cucurbitaceae family. Muffins, pancakes, soups, stews, and even pumpkin lasagna are all tasty and fresh when you know the best varieties to grow for cooking. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products....
Durable and attractive, these building materials withstand weather extremes and infuse an outdoor living space with timeless style. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. 1. Garden Stairs If your property slopes, you may find that foot traffic has worn a path through your lawn right down to the bare earth. Why not join two elevations with stairs?...
Find the perfect cultivars for your shady areas with this guide. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. It’s also incredibly easy to grow. You can view tips on how to do that in our guide to growing astilbe. With so many gorgeous combinations of foliage and flowers for you to choose from, astilbe is a wonderful addition to the shade garden....
There are many cultivated varieties. Some have variegated leaves of green and yellow. Others shade from green to yellow, bronze, red, or purple as the weather cools down in autumn. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. In our guide to growing forsythia, we discuss everything you need to know to cultivate and care for forsythia in your landscape....
Sure, it can be a lovely addition to the garden as a foliage plant, but there are certainly better options if you’re looking for some gorgeous greenery. We grow roses for the blossoms. It’s those big, beautiful, elegant flowers that we’re after, the ones that fill vases and bouquets, and that have inspired artists for centuries. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission....
But what can you do to keep those gorgeous creations from turning into a pile of mush within a matter of days? We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. 9 Tips for Long-Lasting Jack-O’-Lanterns 1. A Stem Is a Lifeline The ideal pumpkin has a good length of firm stem that is still attached, and this should not be shriveled....
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. Organic gardeners, polyculture enthusiasts, pollinator protectors, and permaculturists alike will all be enlightened by this highly informative and extremely practical guide to companion planting. For a deep dive into this book, keep reading our review – here’s what we’ll cover: First Impressions We all know we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, right?...
For the first time since I was a teenager, I’m living in an apartment. It has its benefits, such as having less to clean and no outdoor maintenance to do, but there is one large, looming downside – I can’t have a garden here. Many people might not mind this, as they’re perfectly happy buying all of their food from the grocery store… but I’m a gardener by nature, and as you might imagine, this is a big adjustment for me....
Why is that? Spinach is notably high in iron, as are several other garden veggies. Let’s dive a little deeper into the roles this nutrient plays in the body, and common vegetable sources that you can grow at home. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. What Is Iron? Iron is a mineral that is found in many foods....
