I don’t talk a lot about varieties, I grab seeds from the Farm Supply store, read about them seed catalogs, and various websites, and work very often with trial and error. That is the sum total of how I write,…
Category: Organic Gardening
Growth Requirements for Common Herbs
Different herbs have different growth requirements to flourish. The growing environment that will cause one herb to grow plentiful for you will cause another to languish. The table below will help you find the right spot for the right herb.…
The Garden of Ethics
America’s environmental wake-up call is increasingly evident in our own backyards, especially when it comes to our gardens. Through more conscientious gardening such as organic methods, native plantings, and a renewed interest in growing our own food, we’re restoring a…
Blossoms falling off bean plants
Bean blossom drop can occur when temperatures stay consistently over 90 degrees and/or if the plants are stressed. There’s not much you can do about the heat except wait it out. It may help to put a breezy row cover…
The Difference Between Gardening and Farming
My father once said… I am a gardener, NOT a farmer. There is a difference. As if to provoke the obvious question, “What is the difference?” I never asked. But had anyone asked if my father was a farmer, I…
Squash and Cross Pollination
Summer squash, winter squash, pumpkins and gourds belong to the Cucurbita family. Members of this family may cross-pollinate with each other. (Insects can bring pollen from other plants to female flowers.) However, the first year of a cross, the resulting…
Watermelons and Cross Pollination
Do you have to separate watermelons (Citrullus lanatus) from other types of melons to keep them from cross-pollinating? No, other types of melons like cantaloupes or honeydew (Cucumis melo), and cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) can all be grown close together without…
Blossom End Rot
Blossom end rot on tomatoes Photograph by David B. Langston, University of Georgia Tomatoes grown in containers and indeterminate (vining) heirloom tomatoes can be more susceptible to Blossom End Rot (BER) that is caused by an inability to adequately uptake…
How are beans pollinated?
Do you want to save your own bean seeds for growing next year? Do you want to re-grow the same fabulous beans next year that you grew this year? It may not be as easy to do with any other…
May Garden Calendar
seed packet
Wow… May already. Where did the time go? The gardening calendar for May provides a list of recommended food growing tips and
As I mentioned in the last calendar update, April and May, about growing organic food, more people garden in April and May than any other time of the year.
Three Sisters: An Ancient Garden Trio
“The Three Sisters all work together. Critters will find it harder to invade your garden by inter-planting your corn, beans and squash. The corn stalk serves as a pole for the beans, the beans help to add the nitrogen to…
How To Improve the Soil in Your Garden With Sheet Mulching
Is your garden typically riddled with weeds by mid-summer? Are you looking for an organic method for improving the fertility of your soil? Interested in learning inexpensive techniques for maximizing your garden’s water retaining properties? Master organic gardener Eric Toensmeier,…