Growing Peppers: Spice Up Your Garden
Growing peppers can be a rewarding experience for gardeners of all levels. Not only do peppers add a burst of flavor and spice to meals, but they are also packed with essential vitamins and nutrients, making them a healthy addition to any diet. I have found that peppers are one of my favorite crops to grow in my garden. It is one vegetable that my entire family will all eat. They do fantastic every year that I have included them in my garden plan.
Read full storyDIY Cattle Panel Trellis Arch: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you're looking to grow vegetables in a small garden space, a cattle panel trellis is a great option. It's affordable, easy to build, and you can use it to grow a variety of crops. Here's how you can build a cattle panel trellis arch and get started with vertical gardening.
Read full storyGrowing Tomatoes in Your Backyard: A Complete Guide
Growing tomatoes is one of my favorite things to do in the summer. Tomatoes are one of the most popular and versatile vegetables to grow in the garden. They are nutritious, and delicious, making them a great addition to any meal. They are easy to grow and can be enjoyed fresh, canned, or cooked in a variety of dishes. In this article, we'll cover everything you need to know to successfully plant and care for tomatoes in your garden.
Read full storyEasy Green Bean Gardening Tips for Beginners
If you're just starting out, you may be wondering what are some easy crops to grow that will give you a good yield without too much fuss. Well, have you considered growing green beans? Not only are they delicious and nutritious, but they're also incredibly easy to grow, making them the perfect crop for beginner gardeners.
Read full storyGrow Your Own Raspberries: Tips for a Thriving Patch
Are you looking for a delicious and nutritious addition to your home garden? Look no further than growing raspberries! These vibrant and tasty berries are a popular fruit for home gardens and are loved for their sweet and tangy flavor. But did you know that raspberries are also packed with vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients that make them a healthy choice for your diet?
Read full storyFrom Peppers to Powder: How to Make Paprika Powder at Home
Are you looking to spice up your cooking game? Look no further than your very own garden, or local farmer's market, for some fresh paprika peppers! Before you go dicing and sautéing these beauties, have you considered dehydrating paprika peppers for even more intense flavor and preservation?
Read full storyBeetle Battle: Defend Green Beans from Mexican Bean Beetles
The Mexican bean beetle and I have a love hate relationship. They love to eat the leaves of my green beans and I hate them!! Mexican bean beetles (Epilachna Varivestis) primarily feed on garden beans and field beans. My family loves to eat green beans so I plant a lot of green bean plants in my garden every year. This year I am working on planting enough green beans to be able to can them so we can have green beans available when ever we want them in the pantry.
Read full storyDIY Seed Starting Rack
Indoor seed starting can feel overwhelming but with this simple DIY seed starting rack you will be on your way to fantastic harvests. Purchasing an all in one grow system can be expensive. Building your own seed starting rack can be a cost effective way to start your seedlings indoors. I started out my indoor seed starting journey on a folding table with grow lights suspended above it. Your setup doesn't have to be fancy but it does need to provide your seedlings with the light that they need.
Read full storySeed Starting Containers DIY
I want to share 3 easy DIY seed starting containers with you that you can make today. This is the time of year when I start thinking about starting my seeds for my garden. You can use everyday items you already have in your home to start your seeds. Sure you could go to the store and purchase containers to start your seeds but why not make your own for free.
Read full storyWhat are Plant Hardiness Zones?
What are plant hardiness zones? Why are they important to me as a gardener? This was something I did not understand at all when I was a beginner gardener. I started by picking plants that I thought were pretty or ones I would like to try without even thinking that they might not be successful in my area at all due to their hardiness. As I have continued to plant over the past several years I have become more successful because I am looking for plants that will do well in my area instead of just picking them for looks alone. Understanding this information more as a beginner gardener I would have likely been more successful with my plantings in the beginning.
Read full storyImported Cabbage Worm
If you are growing brassicas in your garden you have likely encountered the imported cabbageworm (Pieris rapae). I dread seeing the imported cabbageworm damage in my garden every year. They like to eat the leaves of your plants causing holes or stripping of the entire leaf. They are common throughout North America.
Read full storyDeterminate and Indeterminate Tomatoes
I see a lot of questions about determinate and indeterminate tomatoes. What is the difference between the two tomato types? Which type should you choose to grow in your garden? A lot of the times when you purchase tomatoes or tomato seeds they may not even show if they are a determinate or indeterminate variety. You may need to do some additional research to figure out if your tomato variety is determinate or indeterminate.
Read full storyGrowing Sugar Snap Peas
Sugar snap peas are one of the earliest plants you can grow in your garden. They are also one of the easiest plants for new gardeners to be successful with. With sugar snap peas you get to enjoy the entire pod and the peas inside, what a delicious treat. They are fantastic to snack on while working in the garden and if you are not careful the ones you pick may never make it into the house. I often find my son out in the garden "snacking" and he usually goes for the sugar snap peas first.
Read full storyPotting Up Seedlings
If you start your own seeds indoors or buy small transplants from the nursery you will likely be potting up seedlings before they are able to be moved to the garden. If you are new to gardening or even new to seed starting let's discuss the what, why, when and how of potting up seedlings.
Read full storyHardening Off Seedlings
Hardening off seedlings - What is it, how do you do it and why is it important to do for your garden success?. When I first started gardening I had never heard of hardening off your seedlings. I just direct sowed seeds in my garden or put my purchased seedlings in the ground without really any though. Those led to various success over the beginning years. Then I decided to start my own seeds indoors which opened a whole new world of possibilities in the garden.
Read full storyBlossom End Rot
Blossom end rot is a common garden issue that comes up for many new gardeners. Blossom end rot can occur in tomatoes, peppers, squash, eggplants and sometimes melons. I have seen this problem in my garden many years and it is frustrating to lose some of the harvest you have been working so hard to grow.
Read full storyTransplanting or Direct Seeding
At some point in your gardening adventures, you are going to be asking yourself if you should be transplanting a seedling or direct seeding your crops into your garden. It's important to understand the different methods of planting your garden. Two common methods of starting a garden are transplanting and direct seeding.
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