You may be wondering when to start your precious seeds? Of course, seed packages have instructions such as 6-8 weeks before last frost or once the ground can be worked or even start 4 weeks early OR in situ. To better understand these directions, here’s a crash course on the whens and wheres of planting. […]
This article offers practical advice on starting eggplants and pepper seedlings, covering topics like lighting setups, overcoming light deficiencies, thinning, transplanting, and hardening off. It provides insights into using natural light, fluorescent tubes, and grow lights, emphasizing the importance of adequate light for photosynthesis. The author discusses challenges when starting seeds without artificial light and suggests solutions, such as window sills, winter-sowing, and alternative containers. The role of unheated greenhouses, containers, and grow boxes for larger plants or later starts is explored, along with tips for managing temperature. The article touches on container and growing mix selection, germination requirements, growing on, thinning, transplanting, and the continuous process of hardening off. It concludes by inviting readers to suggest additional topics for future posts. Overall, it serves as a comprehensive guide for seedling cultivation at various stages.
There are so many wonderful looking vegetable varieties that it can be easy to ‘buy all the seed.’ Unless you have a team, a tractor and a farm, it’s unlikely that you are really going to ‘grow all the seed,’ never mind ‘harvest all that veg!’ Leaving you to decide what to grow. We’re going […]
… to any garden question is “It depends.” “How early should I start tomatoes?” “Should I mount my potatoes?” “Do I need to succession sow lettuce?” “How far apart should I space my cabbage?” “Is no dig the best method?” “What grows well here?” “Does it eat all the plants?” “Should I trellis melons?” “Will […]
If you have either a big enough garden or just the inclination, you may have thought about growing for storage. This requires a shift in thinking toward not just food that is wholesome and delicious fresh but also those varieties that store well in a variety of ways. Besides canning and its close cousin pickling […]
Source: http://justfood.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/CGN_Garden_Guide_2015.pdf
VEGETABLES ARUGULA ASPARAGUS BEETS BELL PEPPERS BROCCOLI BRUSSELS SPROUTS CABBAGE CARROTS CAULIFLOWER CELERY CORN CUCUMBERS EDAMAME EGGPLANTS GARLIC GREEN BEANS HORSERADISH KALE LETTUCE OKRA ONIONS PARSNIPS PEAS POTATOES PUMPKINS RADISHES RHUBARB RUTABAGAS SPINACH SUMMER SQUASH (ZUCCHINI) SWEET POTATOES SWISS CHARD TOMATOES TURNIPS WINTER SQUASH HERBS BASIL CHIVES CILANTRO (CORIANDER) DILL LAVENDER MARJORAM MINT OREGANO PARSLEY […]
In the last post I discussed some reasons why we might want to combine flowers and vegetables. Of course, vegetables mostly flower too so allowing some to ‘bolt’ aka flower can be a nice way of adding interest for you and the rest of nature. Not only that but you may end up with self […]
Planting flowers, or alongside, your vegetables can have a number of benefits including adding beauty, confusing pests and attracting beneficials. Here are some ways to create wonderful combinations. Confuse Sight and Scent Signals Pests (otherwise known as creatures that share vegetables and at low levels are usually non concerning) may become confused while seeking their […]
I was pleased to speak with Kate from Heartbeet farm about growing sweet potatoes in the Ottawa Valley (interview below). Many growers now know that you absolutely can grow this heat loving, nutritious tuber here. In fact, in the best years, you’ll get impressive yields that (in my experience) outcompete potatoes, and in the worst […]
Cynara cardunculus is a fascinating set of vegetables. A huge stately perennial thistle that grows wild around the Mediterranean. Varieties called Cardoon are selected for edible stems and varieties called Globe Artichoke are used for the delicate flower bud before it has opened. Both of these are fantastic looking in the vegetable garden but take […]
Seed Storage Guidelines Vegetable Storage Years Vegetable Storage Years Arugula 4 Leek 2 Bean 3 Lettuce 5 Beet 4 Muskmelon 5 Broccoli 3 Mustard 4 Brussels Sprouts 4 Okra 2 Cabbage 4 Onion 1 Carrot 3 Parsley 1 Cauliflower 4 Parsnip 1 Celeriac 3 Pea 3 Celery 3 Pepper 2 Chard, Swiss 4 Pumpkin 4 […]
In our zone 5a, fall gardening can be a great time to plant cool-season crops. We hit our first frost between the first week of October and mid-October. Fall crops can be planted between late August and early September to harvest just before winter sets in. Following crops are a great start for a fall […]
-BY EM CASALENA Source: https://www.backyardboss.net/winter-squash-recipes/ Autumn and winter cuisine is simply the best. From soups to casseroles to roast meals, this is the time of year when we can all enjoy some seriously hearty and delicious recipes. One great staple of wintertime cuisine has to be the winter squash. And, luckily, there are a ton of […]