Avoid bean growing problems by growing beans when temperatures have warmed and nights are no longer chilly. Beans: garden beans–including pole, bush, and shell–lima beans, mung beans, scarlet runner beans, asparagus beans, and southern peas (which are not beans but share similar cultural requirements). All of these crops share similar problems. Here is a list
You may have heard or read that milk is sometimes used to help grow tomatoes–and also squash. Is it a fertilizer? Milk contains calcium (Ca). Calcium is an important plant macronutrient. Macronutrients are foods that help plants grow and function. Calcium helps build plant cell walls which in turn allow the transport of other plant
Pumpkin seedlings April is a month of quick transition in the the kitchen garden. The last frost will come this month in warm-winter regions. True spring has already arrived in most southern and coastal gardens. If the lilacs are in bloom in your area, the time has come to sow directly in the kitchen garden.
Starting seeds indoors Here are seed starting tips–both indoors and outdoors–and schedule for April zone-by-zone. If you are unfamiliar with the USDA zone where you live, look at the minimum annual temperature guideline following each zone. Soil and Seed Starting Mix Getting seed started indoors is essentially the same as sowing seed outdoors directly in
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
