Savvy Gardening

Bolting basil: Why basil bolts and what to do about it

Basil is an essential kitchen herb lending its spicy-clove taste to pasta, pesto, bruschetta, soups, sandwiches, and countless other dishes. And while basil is considered easy to grow, bolting is a common issue for gardeners. Bolting is when the plants start to flower, which diminishes the flavor and leaf texture, as well as yield. In this article you’ll learn all about bolting basil and get five strategies to slow bolting.

Topping pepper plants: When, why, and how to do It right

Written by Niki Jabbour

While topping pepper plants is standard practice for some gardeners, others wouldn’t dream of snipping a single stem. In part, whether to top or not—and when and how to do it—depends on your local climate and the length of your growing season as well as the varieties of peppers you choose to grow. The bottom line is that trimming your pepper plants in the right spots and at the right time can make them more robust and more prolific. That means you could come away with many more peppers than you otherwise might. In this article you’ll learn all about topping pepper plants.

When to plant fall carrots—and how a wooden board can improve your harvest

Written by Jessica Walliser

If you have only grown carrots in spring, you may be missing the sweetest harvest of the year. Fall-grown carrots mature as the weather cools, and that drop in temperature encourages the roots to become crisp, tender, and noticeably sweeter. The key is timing, but there is also one simple trick using a wooden board that has completely changed how I grow fall carrots. In this guide, you will learn when to plant fall carrots, how my simple tip improves germination during hot late-summer weather, and how to harvest and store your crop for winter meals.
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Tomatillo plant not producing? 5 Common reasons and easy fixes

Written by Niki Jabbour

Do you have a tomatillo plant not producing? Are you just getting empty husks, but no delicious fruits? This popular garden vegetable is easy to grow and doesn’t require much maintenance, but to get a good harvest, there are a few things to keep in mind. In this article I’ll share the five most common reasons for a tomatillo plant to not produce fruits and give you easy solutions for fixing them.

New Guinea impatiens care: A complete guide

Written by Jessica Walliser

Providing the very best New Guinea impatiens care doesn’t require much time, and, if you get it right, you can expect a stunning landscape display from early spring until fall’s first frost. New Guinea impatiens produce blooms in a wide range of colors from bold carmine red to fuchsia to softer shades of salmon. They are one of my favorite annuals to grow in my many container plantings. In this article, I’ll introduce you to New Guinea impatiens and offer many tips for their care.
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Zucchini plant not producing? How to fix it

Written by Niki Jabbour

Zucchini is one of the easiest vegetables to grow, and the plants are well-known for their productivity and how quickly the tiny fruits grow into giant zucchinis. Because of their generous yield, I usually recommend only one plant per household. Occasionally, however, you might run into a problem and a very common issue is a zucchini plant not producing. The plant has tones of flowers but none turn into fruits. In this article I’ll explain why zucchini plants sometimes struggle and tell you how to fix it.