Tomatoes are a favorite crop for many home gardeners, and even beginner gardeners can have success when growing their very first tomato plant. But if you really want to improve your tomato-growing skills and see bigger and better yields than ever before, I’m going to let you in on a few “trade secrets”. As a former organic market farmer, I’ve had lots of experience growing thousands of tomato plants over the years. As a result, I’ve put together a list of 12 tomato growing secrets to use in your home garden for healthier plants, bigger yields, and less work. Continue Reading
Read More »Tomato growing secrets for a big harvest
Deer-resistant perennials: Beautiful blooms and foliage for spring, summer, and fall
The other day I watched a deer walk through one of my raised beds, ignore the sage and chives, and amble right up to my patch of daylilies. It happily munched away on the tender spring shoots as I took a photo. I have deer-resistant perennials throughout other areas of my property. Usually the deer only seem to visit in the winter when they get really hungry. They enjoy feasting on my cedars and one year they chowed down on the euonymus beside my front door until it was barely nothing (I must say the deer-pruning made it grow back strong and healthy!). But recently, a group of them like to walk up my street, following the path to the backyard, nibbling my garden as they go.
Read More »How to grow cucumbers in a container garden
Cucumbers are an essential summer vegetable, and one that is easy to grow and extremely productive – even in containers! You don’t need a big garden to grow cucumbers. Just give them sunshine and consistent moisture and enjoy a bumper crop of crisp fruits all summer long. Plus, cucumbers grown in pots typically have fewer issues with pests and diseases so planting in containers can actually reduce potential problems. Are you ready to learn how to grow cucumbers in a container garden?
Read More »How to plant seed potatoes in the ground, in pots, & in straw
Potatoes are among the most productive crops for home gardens. For every pound of seed potatoes you plant, expect to harvest three to five pounds of spuds in return. That’s a great investment! Plus, with the long storage life of potatoes and the myriad of ways you can prepare them, they are a must-grow crop for many gardeners. And, to sweeten the deal even more, potatoes are a simple crop for beginner gardeners to grow. Every potato-growing adventure starts with seed potatoes. In this article, we’ll look at what seed potatoes are, how to plant seed potatoes, and how to grow them successfully – no matter how much, or how little, space you have to grow. Continue Reading
Read More »4×8 raised bed vegetable garden layout ideas
You’re excited to grow a vegetable garden. You’ve built your raised bed in a space that gets at least six to eight hours of sunlight a day, and filled it with soil. How do you figure out how much to grow? I thought I would put together a 4×8 raised bed vegetable garden layout to show how much can be planted in a raised bed. I ended up creating a couple because I had fun planting all those virtual veggies!
Read More »How to plant lettuce: A guide to planting, growing & harvesting lettuce
Are you ready to learn how to plant lettuce? This popular salad green is one of the easiest crops to grow in garden beds and containers and is ideal for spring and autumn harvesting. Plus, it’s a speedy crop with baby greens ready to pick around a month from seeding and full heads in two months or less.
Read More »
