There are two main types of strawberries: June Bearers and Ever bearers. June bearers produce one prolific crop per year in early summer. Ever bearers will set on two crops per year- one in the early summer and a smaller one in the fall, with a dribble in between. All...
Many vegetables have best flavor and production when they are grown in cool weather. Spinach is one of these. Once up, thin spinach to every four to six inches so it won’t go to seed so quickly. Mulch it, too, to keep the soil moist and keep weeds down, because...
In our harsh climate, red raspberries perform the best and are the hardiest of the raspberries. Raspberries need a cool spring to reach perfection, so crops may vary from year to year. Well-drained soil is also essential to good raspberry yield- if you haven't planted...
Sometimes, despite our best efforts to fertilize, aerate, and pamper the lawn, it looks tired and dowdy compared to the vivid green of the new house next door. The problem lies in the very nature of the grass. Left to itself, un-mowed, it would naturally form seed...
Spring bulbs include dahlias, gladiolas, begonias, lilies, cannas, and a few others. These bulbs have rewarded garden enthusiasts with gorgeous, show stopping blooms year after year. When you plant spring bulbs, work a low nitrogen, high phosphate fertilizer, such as...
If your roses have been covered for the winter, you can start to remove the mulch as the weather warms and the threat of really hard freezes is past. Be gentle as you remove the mulch. Now you can prune off any canes that have died back, as well as removing dead ends...
Aerating your lawn in the spring will open up the root system to air, water and fertilizer, making your lawn more resistant to drought, disease, and insects. Aerating machines remove many little plugs of soil and root in a hurry, or you can do it with a hand held...
Systemic insecticides can prevent an insect infestation before it even begins, saving untold damage to your yard and garden. Systemic insecticides work from the inside of the plant, deterring and killing most insects when they take their first bite. The systemic...
Lovely black loamy soil doesn’t just happen- you make it happen by what you add to your soil. In our area, the most common problems are a soil that compacts and turns hard when watered- this is most likely a clay soil. A soil that remains soft and drains well,...
Nothing sets off a walkway or porch like a beautiful hanging basket or a gorgeous planter. The challenge with hanging baskets and planters is keeping them looking great. First, with both hanging baskets and planters, there are a lot of plants squeezed into a small...