Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

Is this the year you want to plant a home vegetable garden? If so, it's time to get your plan together for this summer's garden.  Home vegetable gardening is a popular hobby for a number of reasons. Some people garden for exercise and some for the enjoyment of harvesting flavorful produce that can be eaten... Continue Reading →

The Year of Broccoli 

Broccoli hails from the Mediterranean region and has been enjoyed there since Roman times. Other European regions eventually caught on and broccoli was popularized in France as “Italian Asparagus” in about 1650. The English adopted it about 70 years later.  We have been broccoli fans across the US since the 1920s when ice-packed broccoli heads... Continue Reading →

2023 All-America Selection Vegetable Winners  

Aside from this year’s four national flower winners, All-America Selections (AAS) has chosen three vegetable award winners – two national winners and one heartland regional winner. National awards are given to plants with consistently great performance across the United States. Regional winners showed outstanding performance within a specific section of the county.   All-America Selections... Continue Reading →

Building a Coldframe or Hot Bed

A cold frame or hotbed is an easy and inexpensive structure to create. It functions as a small greenhouse, enabling gardeners to extend their growing season in both spring and fall.  It can be used to harden off seedlings in spring or grow late season crops of cold tolerant plants like greens.   LocationThe ideal location for... Continue Reading →

Choose, Store And Decorate Pumpkins And Gourds

Colorful pumpkins and gourds are popular fall decorations, and their appearing for sale in many locations now. But no matter if you're growing or purchasing pumpkins or gourds for display, decoration, cooking or storage, choosing the best specimens and storing them properly is key. Select Healthy, Mature Pumpkins & GourdsIt's important for good storage and longer-life... Continue Reading →

Harvesting and Curing Onions

Knowing when your onions are ready for harvest and how to prepare them for storage are important steps toward having a successful crop.   A common practice passed down among generations of gardeners is that bending over the onion leaves, while they are still green and growing, will prevent the leaves from growing so much... Continue Reading →

Horseradish  

If you’ve never tasted horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), then think wasabi (Wasabia japonica). These two foods have a nearly identical flavor, often described as peppery, spicy and pungent, however, the sharp taste of horseradish only lasts a short time and doesn’t sear your mouth like hot peppers do.   Horseradish foliage. Image from Pixabay.com.  Both the... Continue Reading →

Renovation of Strawberry Plantings

Strawberry plantings can produce for several years, but yields decrease with each year of harvest.  Diseases, weeds and weak plants limit the life span of a single planting, so do not expect a bed to maintain its quality for more than three fruiting seasons.  By following the recommended renovation or renewal procedures, you can maximize... Continue Reading →

Thinning Tree Fruits

Fruit trees in the home orchard often set abundant crops if spring pollination conditions are good and most home gardeners do not thin fruit trees enough or at all. Only 10% of peach flowers are needed for full crop set and peaches are particularly prone to branch breakage under heavy crop load.   Very heavy fruit loads... Continue Reading →

Blog at WordPress.com.

Up ↑