Plant peanuts in the garden 1 to 2 weeks after the last frost when the soil has warmed. Peanuts are a very tender, long-season crop. They grow best in regions where there are at least 120 frost-free days. The soil temperature should be at least 60°F (16°C) before planting peanuts. Peanut seeds are usually sown
Sunflower near seed harvest Sunflower seeds have a pleasant, nutty flavor and a crunchy texture that makes them a welcome and simple addition sprinkled on salads, sandwiches, vegetable dishes, and yogurt as well as mixed into stuffings and granola. Ground sunflower seeds can be combined with flour to make cakes, cookies, muffins, pancakes, and bread.
Many Chinese vegetables–also known as Oriental vegetables– are well suited for warm-season growing. Grow these crops from spring through the end of summer. These crops are favored in Chinese and Asian cooking, and they are easy to grow. Most are fast-growing and suitable for small gardens and containers. Chinese vegetables can generally be broken into
Snow peas Chinese vegetables, sometimes called Oriental vegetables, favored in Chinese and Asian cooking are easy to grow. They are tasty, vigorous, and highly adaptable. Most are fast-growing and suitable for small gardens and containers. Chinese vegetables can generally be broken into three groups: those easy to grow in temperate regions with cool and cold
Purslane is a low-growing weed with reddish-brown, thick, succulent stems. Purslane is a summer annual weed that thrives in hot, dry weather. It grow vigorously, forming a thick mat. Pursland has thick, fleshy, and wedge-shaped. Small yellow flwoers can bllom in the stem and leaf joints. Pruslane stores water in its thick fleshy stems and
Wide row-narrow bed planting There are more than two dozen vegetable crops well-suited for planting in narrow beds, also called wide rows. A wide row—or narrow bed—is about 3 feet across, never wider than you can reach to the center of the bed from one side or the other. The wide row-narrow bed means you
Honeydew melon growing vertically on a wire fence. Vertical gardening is growing plants on a support such as a stake, trellis, cage, or fence. Pole beans, peas and tomatoes are commonly grown this way. But other vining crops such as cucumbers, squashes—both summer and winter, and melons can also be grown vertically. Many vining crops
Garden beds warmed by reflected heat A microclimate is a small area with slightly different temperature or climate than the surrounding larger area. Every garden has microclimates; microclimates can be created by hills and low spots, structures and fences, and even the shade of trees or tall plants. You can use the microclimates in your
Canned carrots Vegetables—unlike fruits–are low in acid so it is important to use prescribed methods and equipment when canning the overflow of summer and fall harvest. Use a steam pressure canner for vegetables. Low acid foods must be processed in a pressure canner to be free of botulism and other bacteria, mold, and yeast growth
Thistle A weed is any plant that grows in the garden that you do not want. Weeds steal water and nutrients from vegetable crops reducing yield. Weeds compete with vegetables for sun and provide a refuge for pests and diseases. The best strategy for weed control is to prevent weeds from germinating and eradicate those
