Lettuce is one of the best vegetables to grow in containers, indoors or out. It is easy to grow. It does not require a large container. You can grow lettuce to maturity in a pot just 4 to 6 inches (10-15 cm) across. Grow lettuce outdoors in pots or boxes on doorsteps, porches, patios, balconies
Grow winter greens and roots under the protection of a plastic tunnel in cold-winter regions. The vegetable garden will finish its transition to the cool season in November in the Northern Hemisphere. Cool-season greens and root crops should be in the ground now. Gardeners must be prepared to protect winter crops from frost in southern
Propagating rosemary small cuttings in the plastic nursery tray. Cuttings from existing plants can be used to start new plants. You can start new plants from trimmings of grapes, figs, perennial herbs such as rosemary and lemon verbena, and even from some vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes. No special tools or equipment are needed
Hand pollination; a male flower stamen is rubbed against the female flower pistil transferring pollen. Hand pollination is the manual transfer of pollen from the stamen of one plant to the pistil of another–that is from a male flower to a female flower. Members of the Cucurbit family–squash, melons, pumpkins, and cucumbers–often have pollination problems
This map of climate zones will help you select plants for your garden that will survive a typical winter in your region. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) developed the map. The ones are based on the average lowest temperatures across the United States. Zone 1 is the coldest region and Zone 11 is
October is a busy month in the vegetable, herb, and fruit garden. Some summer crops are still ripening in the garden. Most are at harvest stage if they have not already been harvested. Check your planting calendar to make sure you harvest warm-season crops at their maturity date or soon after; don’t let them linger
Raab is also called broccoli raab. Raab is a vegetable grown for its edible stems, leaves, buds, and flowers. Raab looks like loose-topped broccoli, but it is actually a kind of turnip. Like broccoli, raab or broccoli raab is harvested when flower stalks have developed buds, but before the buds open. That’s the same as
Animal pests can decimate a vegetable garden or orchard in little time. Here are controls for animal pests in the garden. Crows are voracious garden feeders. Birds Starlings, cowbirds, grackles, blackbirds, and crows are voracious feeders. Target Plants: Berries and high sugar level fruits. Organic Controls: Large plants such as blueberries: Create a frame around
Damping-off causes seedlings to collapse soon after they emerge from the soil. Damping-off is the term gardeners use to describe the wilting and death of seedlings just before or just after they emerge from the soil. Seedlings that suddenly collapse or fall over or bare spots in containers or in the garden where seeds were
Fruit trees can be grown for fruit or shade. If you are growing a fruit tree for shade, pruning is not necessary. If you are growing a fruit tree for fruit, you should prune. A fruit tree that goes unpruned will produce fruit, but in all likelihood, the fruit will be smaller and less flavorful
