Make your garden to-do list to keep the garden humming all year long. One of the most challenging aspects in gardening is to get things started at the proper time. Success in the garden often depends on timing. Planning the work ahead is important. A simple checklist can be used to make sure that everything
Small vegetables–many leaf crops and even compact and miniature varieties of fruiting crops such as tomatoes and peppers–can be grown indoors on a sunny, bright windowsill year-round. Vegetable gardening indoors has most of the same requirements as an outdoor garden: bright light, water, nutrients, and protection from pests and diseases. Since space is likely to
A cold frame is a bottomless box with a clear or translucent top. It is set on the ground or over a planting bed to capture solar energy and heat the air, soil, and plants inside. A cold frame can extend the growing season by one to several months. Cold frames can be made of
Harvest carrots when they develop their color and the tops are 1 inch in diameter or smaller. Carrots can be lifted as soon as they are a usable size. Carrots and parsnips grow best in loose, sandy, humus-rich soil. Size does not make for more flavorful carrots and parsnips. For best flavor, lift both crops
Spinach growing problems are often related to growing spinach in the wrong season. Spinach growing problems are often related to growing spinach in the wrong season. Grow spinach in cool weather. Sow spinach in the garden as early as the ground can be worked in spring. Make succession sowings every 10 days for a continuous
Lifting radishes as soon as they are large enough to eat is important. Radishes that stay too long in the garden will become woody. Radishes are a cool weather crop that will tolerate some heat. Sow radishes in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked in spring and plant succession crops every
Cabbage Growing Problems: Avoid many cabbage growing problems by sowing cabbage seed so that plants come to harvest in cool weather. Grow cabbage as rapidly as possible. Give cabbage plenty of moisture and be sure to feed it through the season–a planting bed amended with aged compost and side dressings of compost tea every two
Broccoli growing problems are often avoided if broccoli is grown for cool weather harvest in rich, well-drained soil. Broccoli is treated much as cabbage. Grow broccoli as rapidly as possible. Give broccoli plenty of moisture and be sure to feed it through the season–a planting bed amended with aged compost is an important start. While
Brussels sprouts are a fall vegetable; there is not enough cool spring weather in most regions to bring sprouts to harvest before summer. Brussels sprouts are a fall vegetable; there is not enough cool spring weather in most regions to bring sprouts to harvest before summer. Brussels sprouts require about 3 months to reach harvest
Cauliflower Problems can be avoided: Summer-planted cauliflower for fall harvest will be both easier to grow and more flavorful–cauliflower prefers to leisurely mature in cool weather. Cauliflower is grown much like cabbage, but requires more careful treatment. It is best to start cauliflower indoors where it can be protected from both cold and hot temperatures.
