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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.
gardening experts
For such a little tree, this thing sure pumps out a lotta lemons every winter! I harvested a hefty basket of lemons last week, and I didn’t even put a dent in my tree. I’m not sure how many pounds were harvested, but it did require two hands to haul the basket from the garden… For such a little tree, this thing sure pumps out a lotta lemons every winter! I harvested a hefty basket of lemons last week, and I didn’t even put a dent in my tree. I’m not sure how many pounds were harvested, but it did require two hands to haul the basket from the garden to the kitchen (and an extra set of hands to pick up all the lemons that kept tumbling out!). If I had to guess, I’d say this first round yielded at least 60 fat, juicy lemons. And winter’s not even over yet… nor have all my lemons fully ripened. One can only make so much lemonade, lemon bread, and lemon curd in one season, so for the next two weeks, I’ll show you a few different ways to preserve these fruits at home. You don’t need to be a canner or a cook, but you can still have that bright lemony flavor long after the last lemon has been plucked.
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If you’re looking to start a new strawberry patch, bare-root plants are a great way to go. They’re cost-effective, easy to establish, and come in a much wider variety than potted strawberries do. You can also plant them earlier in the season, giving your garden a head start. Here’s your guide to planting bare-root strawberries for big yields. How to plant bare-root strawberries Step 1: Soak the roots. Before planting, I like to separate the bundled bare-root plants and soak them in water to rehydrate them. This is an optional step, but I also use this time to add a little bit of liquid kelp (seaweed) to the water to give the plants a solid start in the garden. Bare-root strawberry plants laid out on the soil in between drip tape Strawberry bare roots soaking in a diluted kelp solution in a purple bucket Kelp contains high levels of natural growth hormones (including cytokinins and auxins) that stimulate cell division for healthy root and shoot development. It also has an array of trace minerals (including, but not limited to, zinc, manganese, iron, and copper) that support photosynthesis and nutrient uptake. Kelp is fairly mild as far as supplements go, and it won’t burn the roots or overload your plants with too much of a good thing (when used at the proper dilution ratio) All that to say: If you have access to liquid kelp (my favorite brands are below), it’s worth using it to give your bare-root plants a boost! Soak the roots in a few inches of liquid kelp solution (following the recommended dilution on the bottle) for no more than 30 minutes. Try to keep the crowns above the solution so they’re less likely to rot. While the roots are soaking, prepare your planting site. Step 2: Prepare the soil. Select a spot in full sun—if grown in the shade, strawberries will produce little, if any, fruit. They are fairly tolerant of most soil conditions as long as drainage is good. This is important! When I purchased my strawberry bare roots, the farm recommended that the soil comprise: 60 percent topsoil 30 percent stone grit, such as coarse sand (not play sand), pumice, perlite, or pea gravel 10 percent compost You’ll notice in this picture (with a newly planted crown) that my soil is pretty gritty. The top 6 inches of my raised strawberry bed is a loose mix consisting of topsoil, compost, pumice, and sand. Close-up of a strawberry crown planted in gritty soil Strawberry plants don’t like to sit in compacted soil that stays too wet, as it can lead to black root rot. So if your soil is on the heavier side, be sure to amend it with ingredients that’ll provide proper drainage. Since you’ve already incorporated compost into the soil, there’s no need to add fertilizer at this point. Step 3: Dig your holes at the right depth and spacing. Your plant spacing will depend on the type of strawberry you have and what you want to get out of your garden. I’ve written about the ideal strawberry plant spacing, but in general: Day-neutral strawberries should be planted 10 inches apart Everbearers should be planted 12 inches apart Junebearers should be planted 18 inches apart You want to make the hole deep enough so that the roots hang straight, without bending one way or another. This prevents J-root, a condition in which the roots are too long for the planting hole and end up pointing upwards (looping into a “J”). Some bare-root strawberries may have excessively long roots (up to 12 inches), but that doesn’t mean you have to dig a 12-inch-deep hole. You can trim the roots to about 6 inches to make them more manageable for planting. It’s easiest to stick a trowel in the soil, then wiggle it back and forth to enlarge the hole. This creates a perfect narrow slot for the plant to slide into while its roots stay pointed down. Then, remove the trowel and backfill the hole with your hand. Hand holding a bare-root strawberry as it's being planted in soil with a trowel Step 4: Plant your strawberries. Strawberries are fussy about being too deep or too shallow, so when planting, make sure that only the roots and the base of the crown (a short, brown, thickened stem above the root mass) are covered with soil. Diagram showing the soil line where a strawberry crown should be planted Pat the soil firmly to eliminate air pockets and ensure the roots have good contact with the soil, then water thoroughly. If the soil settles too much and the roots become exposed, cover them with more soil so they don’t dry out. If needed, you can mulch the bed with a couple inches of clean straw to suppress weeds, though I usually wait until the plants start growing and I start watering more regularly. If you planted your strawberries early and there’s still a chance of hard freezes, you can cover the bed with frost cloth or add a thin layer of straw over the crowns. (Just be sure to remove the straw once temperatures warm up and you see new leaves emerging from the crowns.) Within two to three weeks, depending on weather, you should start to see new leaf growth. Continue watering as needed but be careful not to overwater during the season. A newly planted strawberry crown with new spring growth Once your plants are growing in nicely and starting to flower, add a thin layer of straw mulch (if you haven’t already) to keep strawberries off the soil.
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Are you looking for an unusual conifer to add to the landscape? Monkey puzzle trees have been around for hundreds of millions of years, with odd branches covered in spiraling leaves. They’re surprisingly easy to grow in mild climates throughout the United States. Plant biologist Emily Estep walks you through everything you need to know about this South American native. Monkey puzzle trees are fun and unusual perennials that add an unexpected shape to the landscape. The branches grow in a parallel fashion with space in between. Native to Chile and Argentina, these plants have persisted on Earth for more than 200 million years. The International Union for Conservation of Nature classified A. araucana as an endangered species in 2011 due to a decreasing population trend, citing both the decline of mature individuals and the decline of habitat. It’s one of about 20 species in its genus, and quite a few of the other species are dwindling as well. They are relatively easy to care for, and their growth is slow but steady. The greatest difficulty in growing these plants is providing the right amount of water. They are used to the significant precipitation of the Andes mountains, but they’re also prone to rot in wet soil. Far from their native land, monkey puzzle trees are now planted in landscapes in mild climates all over the world. If you live in the right zone, you can add one of these striking living fossils to the landscape. Monkey puzzle tree is an evergreen conifer known for its symmetrical branches that grow with lots of open space between them. In its native habitat of the Andes mountains in Chile and Argentina, it can live to be more than 1,000 years old, earning the nickname “living fossil.” This species is the national tree of Chile. Though it’s not naturalized in the United States, it’s often grown in the South and the West Coast in USDA hardiness zones 7 through 10. This perennial has a pyramidal growth habit. Its branches grow without touching each other and form a unique, geometric shape. Small, triangular leaves spiral densely along the branches. This species does not provide much shade, due to the branches’ sparse growth. They add unusual texture and shape in the landscape all year long, though their large surface roots may interfere with the lawn, sidewalks, and foundations. Eventually at maturity, the branches widen to form a canopy, with no branches below, reaching 80 feet. This is highly unlikely in a cultivated, landscape plant. These plants have either cylindrical (male) or spherical (female) cones that emerge in a shade of green before fading to yellow and then brown. The cones drop seeds in the fall. This can be a bit of a hassle to clean up, but they’re actually edible. These seeds are usually roasted similarly to pine nuts. This plant is native to the Andes mountains in both southern Chile and western Argentina. It grows on volcanic hills. This temperate location sees a lot of rain, experiences average humidity, and observes winter temperatures that go just below zero (~-18°C). This species will grow in similar, mild climates down to zone 7 as long as it gets enough water. You can purchase small monkey puzzle trees and plant them in the landscape of your home. It’s possible to grow them from seeds, too, but the cold stratification and germination processes can take up to six months. Young plants can be kept in pots but will quickly outgrow them. When planting, consider that these trees can ultimately expand to 30 feet in width and will have sprawling roots.
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Learning how to grow peas is one of the best things you can do. These versatile, delicious veggies are huge producers and extremely healthy. Have you ever wondered how to grow peas? Green peas are one of those tastes that embody spring: bright green, crisp and sweet. Knowing how to grow peas in the vegetable garden gives us a never ending supply, and everyone should devote some garden space to this cool-season crop. But peas have an interesting history, too! Before humans developed agriculture, sweet peas were an abundant crop and a staple food that hunter-gatherer peoples would forage regularly. Interestingly, the Romans believed that freshly picked peas were poisonous, so they dried all peas before consumption. This was the common practice until a French gardener under the reign of King Louis XIV developed a pea hybrid called petits pois. These smaller, delicious fresh peas exploded in popularity with the king and thus spread to worldwide appeal. Now people all over grow peas. While we think of peas as a vegetable nowadays, the pod is biologically considered a fruit, and the sweet-tasting peas are seeds. All peas are considered part of the legume family, along with beans and other podded produce. Let’s dive into the world of growing Pisum sativum, the pea plant. We’ll go over how to grow peas, what environments are optimal, and even how to store them for eating later! Planting Peas Peas are a cool-season crop. Most people plant peas in the early spring as soon as the soil is workable, as they can tolerate light frosts. Plant six weeks before the last frost date if the ground is warm year-round. Planting peas in fall is also an option. Plant 8-10 weeks before the first frost for best growth and the largest fall harvest. In California or the gulf states, many people grow peas from seed all winter and early spring. Cooler temperatures are preferred by the plants. Gardeners in the south typically sow peas as a mid or late fall crop. The seeds go dormant throughout the winter and sprout as soon as possible in the spring. This ensures an early spring harvest. Unlike many other plant types, plant your entire cool-season crop of peas at once, whether early-season or late-season plants. This gives your plants the maximum time to produce before it becomes too warm or too cold. Planting peas like this ensures you’ll have an abundant crop with a steady harvest over a few weeks rather than a large crop all at once. As peas are tolerant of partially-shaded conditions, plant your peas in beds that receive anywhere between 4-8 hours of sun or a mix of dappled shade and sun. This means that peas can go in areas that other vegetables can’t! When choosing how to grow peas, they can be planted nearly anywhere if you’re planting self-supporting or dwarf varieties. However, vining varieties need to be trellised or staked to offer support as they grow. Larger pea plants require more support. If you’re planting a variety that is anticipated to reach 5-6’ in height, have your trellis in place when you plant so that the peas can climb. Avoid planting in areas with high winds, as pea vines are sensitive and can be damaged if blown off their supports.
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"This is a quick, filling meal that is high in flavor. It contains your vegetables, dairy and meat all in one easy dish. Cooking time does not include the time needed to bake (or nuke) the potatoes."
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Ham and Cheese breakfast whipped together in a Dutch Oven. The perfect breakfast for your next camping trip!
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"I learned this delicious recipe from my mother. It is used widely in the Arab countries. It great for Holidays or any occasion. Ground Beef can be used but there is nothing like Lamb meat. This Recipe is excellent with Roast Lamb or Turkey. It is easy to cook and family members love it and always serve seconds. It tastes great with Pine (Pignoli) nuts."
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"I adopted this recipe, I love, I make it often and even use it when I plank, it actually goes well with ANY fish I try it on, Original Intro: quick and easy meal."
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