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.
READ MORE » about How to keep groundhogs out of your garden
How to propagate spider plants
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.
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.
READ MORE » about Bolting basil: Why basil bolts and what to do about it
Topping pepper plants: When, why, and how to do It right
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.
READ MORE » about Topping pepper plants: When, why, and how to do It right
When to plant fall carrots—and how a wooden board can improve your harvest
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.
READ MORE » about When to plant fall carrots—and how a wooden board can improve your harvest
Tomatillo plant not producing? 5 Common reasons and easy fixes
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.
READ MORE » about Tomatillo plant not producing? 5 Common reasons and easy fixes
