It’s February, and the seed catalogs are here. Actually, they’ve been rolling in since last fall, tantalizing gardeners with gorgeous pictures of heirloom flowers and vegetables. But as tempting as it is to go ahead and start our seeds a little early, starting seeds too soon has disastrous consequences. Seeds started too early tend to…
There’s nothing more disheartening than starting your first spring vegetables – salad greens and all kinds of seedlings – and seeing them thrive, only to find them riddled with hundreds of tiny holes, seemingly overnight. Flea beetles are one of the most aggressive and persistent pests that we have to deal with in our home…
Garlic tells you when it wants to be harvested, but there are a few ways to plan ahead so you know when to harvest garlic well in advance and don’t get caught off guard. Firstly, almost all garlic takes a little over 8 months from planting to harvest, so if you plant it in October…
Cross-pollinating cucumbers, to cut a long story short, won’t actually harm your crop, but it will change it, and if you intend to save seeds you need to take some serious precautions to make sure you know exactly what you’re growing next year. In some cases, cross-pollination is actually pretty essential for cucumbers to crop…
Growing big potatoes has become much harder in recent years as erratic shorter growing seasons caused by climate change has massively impacted their growing windows, but freak events like the recent giant potato news in New Zealand have given gardeners reason to be hopeful. If you’re wondering why your homegrown potatoes are smaller than you…
Growing long white leeks is probably the most rewarding prize for any passionate gardener, but there are so many tricks to get to grips with that knowing how to grow big leeks can feel more than a little overwhelming. The first time I grew leeks I was at university, with my first allotment. After seven…