Two-bin compost pile. The right side is finished compost. Compost tea is excellent all-purpose plant food. Made from aged compost–organic materials that have finished decomposing, compost tea contains all of the major and minor nutrients plants require. It gives young plants a starter boost and older plants a pick-me-up. Not only that, but compost tea
Plant Insects and Pests Deterred Plant Near Asters Most insects Sunflower, plant around the garden Basil Flies and mosquitoes Tomato; avoid planting near rue Borage Tomato worn, cabbage worms Tomato, cabbage family crops, strawberry Calendula Asparagus beetles, tomato hornworms, most insects All vegetables and herbs Catnip Flea beetles, spittlebugs, ants, Japanese beetles, weevils All vegetables
Vegetable Companions (enhance growth) Antagonists (hinder growth)  Asparagus  Tomatoes repel asparagus beetles; nasturtiums, parsley, and basil help growth. Onions, garlic, chives, gladiolus  Beans Potatoes repel Mexican bean beetles; rosemary repels insects, catnip repels flea beetles. To help growth: beets with bush beans, carrots, peas, cauliflower, cabbage with bush beans, eggplant, cucumbers, radishes with pole beans
Seed starting peppers indoors Starting seed in the garden can be challenging, especially early in the season. Garden soil either too cold or too wet are the chief obstacles to germination in late winter and early spring. The solution: start seeds indoors early in the season. Vegetables that are the easiest to start indoors from
Grow enough tomatoes this year for fresh eating and also for cooking, canning, or preserving (if that’s what you have in mind). But don’t grow more than you can use or give away. Planting more tomatoes than you need is a fairly common mistake. (A mistake you’re never fully aware of until late in the
Seedlings of eggplants, tomatoes, and sweet peppers To get a head start on the growing season, start your vegetable seeds indoors. Cold soil and unsettled weather will challenge seeds sown directly in the garden in early spring. Cool-season crops that are the easiest to start from seed indoors are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks
If you haven’t started already there’s no time like the first month of the year to jump-start spring. In the coldest regions, the first weeks of January are the time to begin planning the spring and summer garden. As soon as your plans are set, get seeds ordered. In low frost and frost-free regions of
Starting vegetable seeds indoors and out: it’s all about temperature and weather. There are three ways to get your vegetable garden growing: Sow seeds directly in the garden. Start seeds indoors and transplant them to the garden when the weather warms.  Transplant seedlings purchased at the garden center into the garden. Starting seed indoors will
Vegetable Seed Staring: Light, temperature, water, nutrients, and spacing are planned and regulated indoors. Starting vegetable seeds indoors will give you a head start on the growing season–actually extend your growing season–and make your garden more productive. Starting seeds indoors eliminates one of the biggest unpredictables of vegetable gardening–poor outdoor germination conditions. Light, temperature, water
January is the coldest month of the year in the northern half of the world. The Norseman named January for Thor, their gold of thunder and storms. The Anglo-Saxons called it Wolfmonth because the wolves came into the villages in the dead of winter to search for food. Legend says that the Roman emperor Numa
