Savvy Gardening

When to harvest cabbage for the best flavors and yield

Homegrown cabbage is a garden treat and planting it in your vegetable beds means you can enjoy it at peak quality and flavor. The vigorous plants form tightly packed heads with layers of crisp, sweet leaves that are delicious raw, cooked, or fermented. While cabbage is fairly easy to grow it’s important to harvest the heads at the right time. If you wait too long they can split. Harvest too early and you’ll miss out on the main crop. Below I’ll highlight how you know when to harvest cabbage types including green, Napa, savoy, and even miniature varieties. Keep reading to learn more about timing the cabbage harvest.

How to freeze green beans from the garden

Written by Jessica Walliser

Whether you like to use your homegrown green beans in a good old-fashioned green bean casserole or in modern stir-fries, learning how to freeze green beans for later use is important, especially when the garden is producing them like crazy. Thankfully, freezing green beans from the garden is an easy process, but there are some essential steps to follow for success. In this article, I offer simple step-by-step instructions so you can enjoy the fruits of your garden for many months to come.
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How to dry chives for your spice rack

Written by Tara Nolan

Chives are one of those perennials herbs that you can enjoy in several ways—you can infuse the blossoms in spring to make chive blossom vinegar, chop the tender stalks to use fresh in salads or as garnishes in place of green onions, and dry the leaves to grab from the spice rack and enjoy later. In this article, I’m going to focus on how to dry chives.

How often should I water my garden? Tips for watering success

Written by Niki Jabbour

Of all the questions I get asked as a gardening expert, “How often should I water my garden?” easily cracks the top 10. It can be difficult to get watering frequency, watering amounts, and even watering methods just right. But doing so is critical to your success, as they influence everything from the flavor and storage capacity of the food you grow to the size and timing of blooms on perennial plants. There are plenty of tools and techniques to help you get a handle on how often you should water and how you can deliver the right amount of water when and where your plants need it. If you’ve ever wondered ‘How often should I water my garden?’ we’ve got the answers! Keep reading to learn when and how long to water.

When to pick zucchini for the best flavor and quality

Written by Niki Jabbour

Zucchini plants are incredibly productive, but if you don’t know when to harvest, you may end up with tough, tasteless fruits. Knowing when to pick zucchini is the best way to ensure a high quality crop. Perfectly picked zucchini are super tender and have a mild, almost nutty flavor. Below I’ll offer advice on when to harvest all types of zucchini as well as share tips on the best ways to harvest. (Hint – it’s not by pulling the fruits from the plant!) Keep reading to learn more.

Potatoes in raised beds: A growing guide for success

Written by Jessica Walliser

Growing potatoes in raised beds has many benefits. You’ll find they are easy to plant and care for, and yields are prolific. Potatoes thrive in the well-drained soil of a raised bed garden. Like tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables, growing your own saves money at the supermarket, brings more flavor to the table, and if you harvest and store them correctly, you can enjoy your potatoes for many months to come. This article is a complete guide for successfully growing potatoes in raised beds.
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