Planting garlic is an exciting time of the year. If you live in a place with harsh winters, like I do, it’s best to plant it in early spring, so it will be one of the very first crops you put in the ground. Growing garlic is easy, but if you’re a beginner, it might…
I remember those early spring days when my family would take my brother and me out in the fields to help them plant potatoes as far as the eye could see. We packed big bags of seed potatoes and there was a lot of digging involved – trenching and hilling up. Us kids were responsible…
You know how much of an investment it is to build good soil. Amending native soil with compost and amendments can be expensive and time-consuming. If you put time and money into your soil last season, only to find that your soil reverted back to its original composition, you might be frustrated. Unfortunately, it’s a…
Do you ever get frustrated with past years’ seed trays and pots? They always seem to overflow their storage space, and never fail to harbor ant colonies, spiderwebs, and all kinds of insects. Old seed trays always end up stuck together or crack in the sun. You hate buying new plastic every year, but you’re…
Broad beans are frost hardy annual vegetables that can be planted in autumn, winter or spring, and will germinate outdoors at temperatures as low as 2oC (36oF). Once germinated they will, in theory, tolerate anything down to -10oC (14oF). Also known as fava beans, these deliciously earthy pulses are incredibly easy to grow, but also…
When I first started my garden, I had no other option but to place it in the vicinity of a walnut tree. I’d heard they may be toxic to vegetables, but the tree is far enough not to significantly shade or drop leaf litter on my plants. At the end of the season, I have…