
Vegetable crops and other plants need light, water, air, nutrients, and the proper temperature to grow. Light for photosynthesis Plants use light to make food (carbohydrates—sugars and starches) in their leaves. This process is called photosynthesis; it is the transformation of light energy into chemical energy. Here’s how photosynthesis works: the green pigment in plant
Most home garden vegetable crops should be harvested and used as soon as they are just large enough. A common home garden mistake is waiting too long to pick and eat vegetables. Don’t wait until your vegetables look like the ones you would buy in the market. Market growers let crops reach a certain size
Lettuce seedlings for planting Ready to stretch your growing season: get an early start in spring or keep the season going in autumn? Lettuce is your choice. Lettuce does not like warm days and nights, so the cool time of the year is the lettuce season. You can lengthen your growing season dramatically with
Ichneumon Wasp Parasitic wasps are small, even minute mini-wasps that control pests including many garden pests. Parasitic wasps kill their hosts by feeding on them. Pests controlled by parasitic wasps include aphids, beetles, caterpillars, flies, sawflies, and scale. Parasitic wasps range in size from 1/100 to ¾ inch long. They vary in shape and coloration
Adult squash bug Adult squash bugs are flat-backed, shield-shaped, brownish-black insects with a triangle shape on the back. Young squash bugs are greenish grey with reddish legs. Squash bugs are ½ to ¾ inches long. Adult and young squash bugs suck the juices from leaves causing leaves to wilt, dry up, and turn brown. Squash
Grow guava in your garden. Guava is a tropical and subtropical plant. Guava is native to Southern Mexico. In the United States, it is grown mostly in Florida, Hawaii, Southern California, and parts of Texas. With protection, it can be grown in USDA Zones 8b and 9. Guava is round to pear-shaped fruit commonly 2