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Experienced gardeners are well aware of this reality and have even come to enjoy the ephemeral nature of their outdoor spaces.
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Learning the secrets of how to grow lettuce all year will let you harvest delicious, nutritious greens. Our guide explains how to do it! We all eat it, but have you wondered how to grow lettuce? There’s a reason that lettuce is one of the most popular plants to grow. Lettuce is so easy, packed with nutrients, and absolutely delicious, so it’s no surprise we all love to grow this versatile green. You can grow lettuce in almost any location in the garden – straight in the soil, on the windowsill, or even between your flowers. With a good focus on gardening basics like proper water, shade, and planting in succession, growing your own lettuce can provide a constant harvest from your garden for the entire year. Let’s explore the diversity of lettuce types and find the perfect variety for you! Planting Lettuce Getting your lettuce off to a good start is the best way to ensure you’ll have an abundant crop. Here’s exactly how to do it! As lettuce is a cool-weather crop, it’s important to time when you begin planting lettuce to fit within those cooler temperatures. Lettuce seeds will not germinate at soil temperatures above 80 degrees. In some areas, you may be able to grow lettuce year-round, but in most locations, you will want to plant your lettuce seeds as soon as the ground is able to be worked. You can start growing lettuce plants in advance, 4-6 weeks prior to the final frost, and transplant them out once the ground is able to be worked. Plant lettuce seeds in succession every 2 weeks to ensure you grow lettuce and have a consistent crop throughout the growing season. As the weather warms up, switch to more heat-resistant varieties of lettuce. When the summer heat is starting to subside, you can get another crop of lettuce in. Be sure that the soil temperature has dropped below 80 degrees, and plant lettuce seeds. If you’re in an area that doesn’t get heavy freezing conditions, your growing season can continue throughout a lot of the winter, too! Lettuce does extremely well in raised bed gardens, but while it tolerate spring and fall sun, it needs protection from summer’s harsh rays. If you plan on trying to grow lettuce seeds into the hot weather months of the year, pick a shady portion of your yard in which to grow lettuce. This will protect it from the elements. You can grow lettuce seeds directly in ground-level garden beds, but if you do that, be sure to keep a watchful eye out, as slugs and snails are very happy to eat all your young crops and lettuce seedlings! To plant lettuce seeds, you first need to ensure your soil is prepared. It should be loose and well-draining, and you will want to make sure it’s well broken up. Large clods of soil can slow down germination and make it hard to grow lettuce. Amend your soil with compost or other soil nutrients about a week prior to planting lettuce for best success. Direct sow your lettuce seeds 1/4″ to 1/2″ under the surface. You can broadcast lettuce seeds for a larger area, or you can plant lettuce in rows, depending on your preference. If you broadcast lettuce seed, you will need to use a rake to bury the seed 1/4″ to 1/2″ under the soil’s surface. As the lettuce seeds germinate and lettuce plants begin to come up, thin them according to their type. Looseleaf lettuces should be spaced about 3-4″ apart. Cos or other loose-headed lettuce varieties should be spaced 8″ apart, and firm types should be 16″ apart. Once your lettuce seeds are planted, water them in lightly and regularly water them every few days until germination. Sow every 2-3 weeks for a continuous way to grow lettuce and harvest lettuce throughout the season.
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If you’re growing a cutting garden and not pinching your plants, you could be missing out on a lot of flower power! Cut flower gardener Melissa Strauss has some steps you can follow to maximize the number of blooms you can harvest this year. Cutting gardens bring so much joy, both to the life of the gardener and to anyone who receives the gift of a home-grown floral arrangement. It’s so nice to be able to gather a beautiful bouquet straight from the backyard or the side yard, in my case. I won’t say that it saves money over purchasing flowers from the supermarket, but there is a satisfaction in growing your own that the grocery store can’t match. A problem that many gardeners run into is the volume of flowers that bloom for each seed they plant. It can be frustrating to plant what feels like a hundred seeds only to end up with one flower for each seed you planted. It’s a lot of work, and if the payoff is disappointing, you might just decide to go back to grocery store flowers and save yourself the labor. What if I told you that there is a simple trick to making your plants produce significantly more flowers? You don’t need to plant more seeds; you can do this one simple thing, and you’ll end up with a far more bountiful harvest. That one thing is pinching, and it doesn’t hurt one bit. Let’s talk about pinching your plants to maximize the number of blooms this season. Pinching is a simple pruning technique that flower growers use to increase the number of blooms each plant produces. It applies to other plants in the garden as well. It’s also commonly called tipping. It involves removing the top of the central stem, either by hand or with a small tool, such as hand pruners. This pruning technique encourages fuller, bushier growth. More growth and more branches mean that there are more places for your plants to set buds. It can also extend the bloom time, leading to more flowers over a longer span of time. Additionally, it increases air circulation, helping reduce the occurrence of fungal diseases. When plants are young, they apply their energy to root development and upward growth. Those with a branching nature will eventually begin to branch out, but it usually doesn’t happen until the plant is already setting buds. Pinching speeds up this process. By removing the very top of the plant (apical bud) just above the next node down. This is where the next set of leaves grows from. The plant takes this as an instruction to apply energy elsewhere. It’s similar to what happens when you deadhead flowers. The plant understands that there is no more growth there to support, so it moves on. While the plant ultimately continues its upward growth, this redirection of energy signals causes it to begin branching. It sends nutrients to the lateral buds, which then begin to grow. You will notice a few days to a few weeks later that those lateral buds begin to grow, and the leaves at that node may begin to die off. The objective is to create a bushier plant with increased branching right from the start. This way, the plant will be sturdier than if the branching starts to occur farther up the stem, making it top-heavy. Pinching will ultimately result in shorter, stronger plants with more branches and more blooms. They will be more vigorous and stand up better to inclement weather and wind. In general, it’s a good thing to do even for plants you don’t intend to harvest flowers from because it creates a more attractive form. It’s important to note that pinching delays bloom time. It can also result in slightly smaller flowers, but in my experience, it’s not a significant difference.
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If you don’t live in the ideal foggy coastal climate for growing a California Coast Redwood, you can still plant a redwood in your landscape! Dawn Redwood trees are native to China and adaptable to USDA zones 4-8. Garden expert Logan Hailey explains everything you need to know about growing this ancient coniferous tree. When you think of redwood trees, Northern California most likely comes to mind. But there is another species of redwood—the Dawn Redwood—that is native to China. These ancient trees share many characteristics with the iconic giants of the Pacific Northwest. But Dawn Redwoods are much more suitable for ornamental landscaping! It even offers fall color that most coniferous trees lack. If you want to grow a redwood tree but live far from the foggy coast of Northern California, then Metasequoia glyptostroboides is probably a suitable alternative. Let’s dig into everything you need to know about growing this fast-growing living fossil! Once thought to be extinct, Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) was rediscovered by Chinese foresters in 1944 in the Sichuan province of Southern China. Botanists thought the trees had been extinct for more than a million years, but when the country reopened to foreign visitors, they found forests full of the “living fossil” tree. This tree is a close relative of America’s famous Coast Redwoods and Giant Sequoias, but it has much more cold tolerance and a smaller size. Dawn Redwoods are grown around the world as valued ornamentals. They turn golden-bronze and drop their needles in the fall, which is a unique attribute for a conifer (cone-bearing tree). The deciduous species regrows its leaves in the spring. Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides) is an ancient tree and the last living species of its genus. A close relative of California’s Coast Redwood, this species is native to the other side of the world in China. Dawn Redwoods are smaller, more cold-tolerant, and more adaptable than their fog-loving cousins, which makes them ideal for ornamental use in USDA zones 4-8. This deciduous conifer is known for its distinct pyramidal shape, straight trunk, and fast growth rate. At maturity, the trunk can reach over seven feet in diameter and 60-160+ feet tall. The tree is mostly suited for parks and botanical gardens, but homeowners with larger properties can grow this redwood. Metasequoia glyptostroboides is an endangered redwood tree native to the Sichuan province of Southern China, where it is colloquially called 水杉 or shui shan. Much like the famous panda bear, the tree is a conservation icon, and tremendous efforts have been made to preserve the last old-growth forests. These ancient trees date back over 150 million years to the Mesozoic Era. In its native range, Dawn Redwood trees thrive in mild temperate climates with wet slopes and stream valleys. While they are technically the smallest of the redwoods, Coast Redwoods are the tallest, and Giant Sequoias are the largest by volume, these Chinese natives are still impressively large, with some being documented at over 160 feet tall. It is perfectly legal (and recommended) to grow this endangered ancient tree. Dawn Redwoods are more adaptable to temperate landscapes than their cousins. Suitable for USDA zones 4-8, these trees are fast-growing and smaller than other redwoods, but they still require a large area of at least 25 feet in every direction. These ornamental conifers are not recommended for regular residential yards but are suitable for large estates, farms, homesteads, and parks. Coniferous (cone-bearing) trees are typically propagated vegetatively from cuttings. While you can grow a Dawn Redwood from seed, it is a long and laborious process. The seeds have less than a 5% germination rate and can take months to sprout. Moreover, the saplings take a long time to reach a transplantable size. For the fastest growth, purchase nursery saplings or take cuttings from an established tree. For more genetic diversity and experimentation, try growing from seed!
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The holly tree is a worldwide phenomenon, with hundreds of types. In this article, Kelli Klein will discuss some of the most popular types and share tips on their care. Holly trees are widely recognized as a symbol of Christmas with their spiny leaves and clusters of scarlet berries. But did you know that there are over 400 species in the holly family? The American holly tree grows natively all over the eastern United States. This evergreen tree has many different varieties and native habitats all over the world, from Europe to Japan to the Caribbean. Holly trees can add a pop of green to your winter landscape, and they are excellent for borders or hedges. Some holly trees grow rather large, while some holly species remain on the smaller side or dwarf size. Because these trees grow year-round, they also provide cover and food sources for many birds and other wild animals during the winter. Numerous species of holly trees are dioecious, meaning that you will need both female and male types to cross-pollinate the females to produce berries. Many species share similar needs and management, and below, we’ll discuss a generalized guide to holly tree care. Their red berries and green leaves make them stand out in the landscape, but if a gigantic holly tree isn’t your thing, there are also varieties that more closely resemble small trees or holly bushes. Holly trees are made up of over 500 species in the Ilex family. American holly trees and European holly are the most widely recognizable holly species due to their association with Christmas time decorations and traditions. European holly, Ilex aquifolium, is thought to have derived its name from the Latin word acrifolium, which literally translates to “sharp leaf”.
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With a refreshing lime vinaigrette and fresh, summer produce, this Israeli couscous makes for a perfect summer salad!
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"This is hands down the best recipe that anyone ever gave me! It comes from my friend Eleanor. Cooking time reflects app. marinating time. Enjoy!"
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The perfect fall salad with the creamiest poppy seed salad dressing. So good, you’ll want to make this all year long!
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The easiest pot pie recipe ever made right in the crockpot from scratch - no condensed cream of chicken soup here!
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