To harvest collards, cut small plants at ground level, or remove the lower leaves as the plant grows. Usually, only the lower leaves of collards are harvested. In mild regions, such as South Texas and coastal areas, collards will produce all winter. As members of the Brassica family, which includes cabbage and broccoli, collards are susceptible to the same pests that bother other family members. West Africans who were kidnapped and brought to American shores as enslaved people were often forced to forage for food, according to historians, and were likely relieved to find collards growing in winter , when other food was scarce. Likely descendants of ancient wild cabbages in Asia, collards as we know them today originated in the eastern Mediterranean.
It was founded by Danish immigrants in 1906, and for many years the majority of America s rutabagas were grown here. These days, rutabagas are a cause for celebration in some farming communities around the country. The Irish and Scottish used to carve out root Read more
Grow horseradish from crowns or root cuttings planted four to six weeks before the average date of the last frost for your area. Choose a container that will allow horseradish roots to grow 24 to 30 inches 61-76cm deep. Keep horseradish from spreading in the Read more
Water regularly since broccoli grows best in moist, but not soggy, soils. For a fall crop, broccoli can be direct-seeded into the garden in midsummer. Be sure to harden plants off by gradually exposing broccoli seedlings to direct sunlight and wind. A good quality broccoli Read more
May is the best time to start growing basil. Select a four-inch section of basil that has not yet flowered. One of the main differences between basil and other herbs is the fact that it is a tender annual. If the flower stems are too Read more
Growing healthy carrots requires loose soil and a heavy addition of organic amendments. The optimum soil for carrots is loose, free of debris and clods, and either loamy or sandy. This is the result of improper soil for carrots. For information on effective tools for Read more
In regions where the soil doesn t freeze, try planting spinach in February for a March harvest. Since cultivating or hand pulling weeds can harm spinach roots, it s best to spread a light mulch of hay, straw, or grass clippings along the rows to Read more
Because most spring varieties mature in less than a month, succession plantings ensure a steady supply of radishes. Put the radishes in plastic storage bags in the vegetable crisper of the refrigerator. The radishes are harvested before the other vegetables need the space. They can Read more
As with growing chili peppers in general, keep the soil moist but do not overwater them. When peppers start to grow, cut back on your watering schedule a bit, but again, do not let the soil dry out. Let s talk about growing chili peppers. Read more
Grow 1 or 2 summer squash plants per household member. Bush-type summer squash can be grown in containers. Start to grow zucchini and summer squash usually no sooner than 3 weeks after the last frost in spring. While I remember being told that summer squash Read more
In rocky clay, it s not nearly as easy to prepare a bed for growing sweet potatoes. Fortunately, my trusty Meadow-Create Broadfork is always up to the task of growing sweet potatoes. Preparing a bed for sweet potatoes is a little more difficult. To produce Read more
No one wants to come home to a garden full of baseball-bat-sized zucchini. That particular study unearthed a Tuscan word zucchini dating to the 1840s, and a concurrent Zucchini Group within C. Or for something a little more indulgent, try this fried zucchini with citrus Read more
Use a fork to lift the onions out of the ground. The onions will produce soft bulbs which cannot be stored. You can speed up the harvesting time by pulling up the bulbs a little bit to break some of the roots, about 10 days Read more
Growing potatoes involves extensive ground preparation. In areas of developing countries where no formal seed supply system exists, farmers have devised their own ad hoc method for selecting seed tubers they sell the largest potatoes for cash, eat the medium-sized ones at home, and keep Read more
It isn t difficult to grow, but does require some maintenance as trimming the leaves frequently helps improve chard s flavor. Keep your chard plants weed free and well watered if the weather is dry. If you are growing your chard in modular trays now Read more
It doesn t take much work to grow lettuce from seeds. Try Ermosa, Esmeralda or Nancy in your lettuce garden. Growing lettuce in rows gives your garden a traditional look. There are many types of lettuce you can plant. To get a jump start on Read more
Begin acclimatizing celery to the outdoors two weeks before planting Leave your plants outside for progressively longer each day, taking care to bring them back under cover if frost threatens. There are two types of celery. Enjoy our video all about growing celery and then Read more
There are many varieties of sorrel plant, but the most common used in cooking is French sorrel Rumex scutatus. Sow seeds for sorrel plant in spring when the soil has warmed up. Leaf sorrel is cultivated as a garden herb and grows 2 feet 61 Read more
Like other leafy vegetables, nitrogen is the key nutrient for arugula. You can find nursery seedlings of arugula, but it is usually started from seed. As a cool-season leafy vegetable, arugula is usually planted either in the spring for early summer harvest, or in the Read more
You can also use fully mature favas as dry beans. The selection of dry beans available through seed catalogs is much greater than the selection of dry beans in grocery stores, with hundreds of different sizes, colors, markings and uses. Scarlet runner beans Phaseolus coccineus Read more
If 2 cauliflower seedlings have germinated in any of your modules you need to remove the weaker one. It has become fashionable recently to grow mini cauliflower so if you want to keep up with the Jones s you could plant 15cm x 25cm. I Read more
Growing dill in containers. How do you prepare land for planting dill. Plant dill in full sun and protect it from strong gusts of wind. Fresh dill brightens up the earthier ingredients in this scrumptious recipe on our sister site Foodal for brussels sprouts with Read more
Rabbits will take a nibble of your radicchio if they get the chance. I had a nibble of a friend s radicchio salad once at a staple restaurant in Portland, Oregon called Nostrana. Don t feel guilty, it s either them or your radicchio harvest, Read more
You can store harvested tomatillos in their husks at room temperature for up to a week or in the refrigerator either loose or in a paper bag for around three weeks. Create a true salsa garden by installing some tomatillo plants next to your tomatoes Read more
Several weeks before planting tomatoes, check the plot you ve selected. An appropriate pH is an important component to preparing the soil for planting tomatoes. If you re planting a large number of tomatoes, then test several areas across the planting area. Direct seeding has Read more
Plan to leave about 1 foot of space between most kale plants. I m personally partial to Lacinato and Dino varieties of kale, but also love Red Russian and some of the curly varieties out there. At Petaluma Bounty we would grow kale in three Read more
Some old farmers may tell you it s time to plant corn when the oak leaves are the size of squirrel s ears. The first step in successful corn planting is understanding the land. Flat areas with prairie potholes that can pond excessively in heavy Read more
If possible, set out your peppers on a cloudy day to help reduce stress on the plants. Choose a sunny, well-drained spot where peppers haven t grown recently. Harvest your peppers. Pick bell peppers when they become shiny, firm, and dark green. Harvest most hot Read more
Whether you re growing watermelon in containers which is totally possible or beds, your watermelon soil journey starts with making sure the fruit has the right type of soil. Whether you re cultivating Charleston Gray , Queen of Hearts or Sugar Baby watermelon, one thing Read more
Watermelon and honeydew are more cold-sensitive than cantaloupe. Which bugs bother cantaloupes the most. Early versions of the melon originated in Persia, India, and the surrounding area, and then in the 1700s seeds from Armenia contributed to the cultivation of the European cantaloupe we know Read more
You can sow chives seeds thinly outdoors in spring where you want them to grow. Although mainly grown for their leaves, chives also produce highly attractive pinky-purple flowers. Planting chives. Widespread throughout North America, chives are adaptable to most conditions. tuberosum , giant Siberian chives Read more
Since okra is very susceptible to nematodes, it is important to fumigate the soil if nematodes are present. Research indicates that okra should respond to additional phosphate when the soil test indicates medium to low phosphate. Soils that are poorly drained or known to have Read more
However, given the large number of shallots reaped from just one set see above and the longer growing time when planting by seed, most of us will choose to plant shallot sets. shallot set will yield 10-15 times as many mature shallots. When planting shallot Read more
Most of the country ended up subsisting on turnips and rutabaga, the only crops available. While they may not seem that fascinating at first glance, turnips have a long and rich history of human and animal use. Each January in the small town of Piornal, Read more
Like many other types of vegetables, leeks prefer growing in slightly acidic soil. Before planting leeks, till the planting area to a depth of 8 to 12 inches to loosen any clumps and aerate the soil. Although leeks Allium porrum are technically considered a hardy Read more
I tried garlic this past year and had some success, not enough. When planting seed garlic in the fall, avoid giving it a high nitrogen fertilizer. Vickie, you can plant in the fall, October, and you will have the best success with hardneck garlics. Some Read more
A difference is that the pods of snow peas are flat and those of sugar snap peas are round. The beds for sugar snap peas should be 8 inches high and 18 to 24 inches apart. In the spring, plant sugar snap peas as soon Read more
After transplanting the eggplant, pour cup of starter solution around each plant. Baba ghanoush is a dip made from mashed or pureed eggplant with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, and a few other spices. Quite a few diseases can damage eggplant at various stages, including seed Read more
When growing kohlrabi, most growth occurs in spring or in fall. Growing kohlrabi is most successful in cooler weather. First, fertilize your soil and then plant the kohlrabi. Side dress kohlrabi with aged compost once a month. Sow kohlrabi seed in the garden 3 to Read more
Since Butterbeans is derived from a cross between an American soybean and a Japanese edamarne, I suspected its flavor and quality wouldn t match the other purebred edamame varieties. I first tried edamame at a Japanese restaurant, where it was served as an appetizer in Read more
Some varieties of asparagus, such as Jersey Knight and Jersey Giant, produce all male or primarily male plants, so they re more productive male plants yield more harvestable shoots because they don t have to invest energy in producing seeds. While the idea of growing Read more
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