Some of my favorite childhood memories involve digging into the earthy ground with my mom and telling our plants to “grow well” as we gave them a drink of water and patted the soil down. My sisters and I would wait anxiously to see the product of our labor and harvest our fresh summer strawberries, eating them straight off the plant with the warm, sticky juice dripping down our chins.
All soils are not made equal. Seasoned gardeners know this only too well, but newbie gardeners often learn it the hard way, and the bad experience may even turn some off for life.
When planting your vegetable garden, it can be challenging to keep all the advice straight, “build a raised bed,” “make sure that you try companion planting,” “always use fertilizer,” “never use fertilizer.” Eventually, the overwhelming words of well-meaning fellow gardeners go in one ear and out the other, and you usually end up winging it. That works for a time, and usually, you will see a harvest, but here are a few essential things that you should be doing differently to maximize yield and encourage healthy growth.
Small space gardening is all the rage and rightly so! It is absolutely amazing how many types of veggies you can grow in a very little space when you grow them upwards. While many plants are naturally inclined to trail – others need a little coaxing at first, but will happily comply as long as they have great soil, plenty of sunlight, enough water, and a good support system.
The fresh taste of herbs adds an element of excitement and allurement to any dish. Rather than having to run to the store each time you need some fresh herbs, why not grow your own in your very own upside down recycled indoor herb garden. Your herbs will be hanging right there – ready for harvest and for culinary inspiration.
No-till gardening is essentially a method of creating garden beds over the ground without digging it up. The bed is built up in layers to the desired height, and the seeds and seedlings are then planted in it.
It is easy to look at gardeners in other gardening zones and wish that you had the ease of a tropical climate or the long growing season of southern gardens. However, there are ways that you can extend the growing season and increase your vegtable harvest with the following tips and tricks.
When it comes to garden pests, an ounce of prevention is always worth a pound of cure. Healthy plants that have been adequately fed and watered can generally tolerate a few bugs without any trouble.
Health enthusiasts revere the little chia seed as a nutrient-packed superfood. This tiny seed has been cultivated since ancient times in the Americas. Native to South and Central America, legend has it that Aztec warriors prized chia seeds for energy and strength. To enjoy the benefits of chia seeds you don’t have to look far—they’re in nearly every grocery store and available online. But, if you may want to grow your own, here’s what you need to know.
Plants are the new people. They seem to have definite preferences when it comes to the company they keep and even exhibit noticeable aversion to certain members of their society. Not very surprising after all, since had successfully colonized the earth, long before we came along and started ‘civilizing’ them.
Peppers are a bright and cheery addition to any garden space. They are also easy and rewarding to grow. Probably because they never fail to give you at least something to show for your effort, if not a large crop. And a few peppers go a long way, especially the hot ones.
Susan has been nurturing her gardening tips and advice for over 00 years, it’s fair to say she knows her beans. She’ll be sharing her knowledge from tried and tested methods.
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