Savvy Gardening

Common pepper plant problems and how to fix them

Each year, I enjoy growing a variety of peppers in my raised beds—especially jalapeño, poblano, habanero, and bell peppers. As plants in the nightshade family, peppers are not the easiest to grow. Pepper plant problems range from insect pests to fungus, and viruses to bacterial infections, not to mention the hazards of too much or too little rain, MIA pollinators, and unexpected cool or wet weather. In this article, we’ll look at the most common challenges, how to identify them, and how to solve them. Read all the way to the end for a few of my tips for growing more peppers, too.

How often to fertilize tomatoes for bigger, better harvests

Written by Niki Jabbour

Whether you’re growing heirlooms like Cherokee Purple or more common hybrids such as Early Girl and Better Boy, understanding how often to fertilize tomatoes can make or break your plans for a huge harvest. Tomatoes are heavy feeders, so getting the hang of when and how often to fertilize tomatoes—not to mention with what exactly—really matters. Get it wrong and you could end up with fruits that are undersized and underwhelming. But, if you get it right, you’ll be rewarded with robust plants that are less susceptible to disease and insect damage and much more productive.

The best pumpkin fertilizer to grow bigger, better pumpkins

Written by Jessica Walliser

As large, fast-growing annuals, pumpkin plants are hungry, so giving them the nutrients they need is very important. As gardeners, it’s up to us to set our plants up with all they need to thrive. Everyone who has grown pumpkins before knows how wide the plants reach and how large the fruits grow (yes, pumpkins are botanically fruits). Because of this, sometimes all you need to grow the best pumpkin crop is to find the right pumpkin fertilizer. For bigger, better pumpkins, we want rich, balanced soil, but pumpkin plants often need a little extra “juice” to grow top-sized pumpkins. In this article, I’ll break down pumpkins’ nutrient needs, the pumpkin fertilizer options available to you, and how to best apply fertilizer to your pumpkin patch. You’ll also learn about one critical fertilizing mistake to avoid at all costs.
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Planting lettuce in the fall: Tips for a bigger, better harvest

Written by Niki Jabbour

The end of summer doesn’t have to mean an end to the homegrown harvest. Cool season vegetables like lettuce thrive in fall (and even winter with the right protection) providing months of sweet, crisp leaves. In this article you’ll learn all about planting lettuce in the fall including the best timing, techniques, advice on caring for the seedlings, and how to protect the plants from cold temperatures. You’ll also discover the best types and varieties of lettuce to grow in autumn.
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How to keep groundhogs out of your garden

Written by Jessica Walliser

Gardeners face a lot of challenges from pests—including insects, birds, and mammals—but few animals strike as much fear in the heart of a vegetable gardener as groundhogs. I have a gardening friend who likes to say, “It is impossible to have a groundhog AND a garden. You can have one or the other, but you can’t have both.” He’s not wrong. In this article I’ll discuss some expert-approved methods regarding how to keep groundhogs out of your garden and offer plenty of other suggestions based on my experiences throughout the years.
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How to propagate spider plants

Written by Tara Nolan

It was a gift from a friend that inspired me to propagate spider plants. A baby plant handed over in a little jar of water that I carefully brought home and eventually planted in a pot. Spider plants make it easy for houseplant collectors. They actually produce tiny plantlets that cascade off the plant looking like they need to be potted. This makes propagation a cinch.