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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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Over the last two years, during this gawd-awful pandemic, garden centers have seen a huge increase in sales of vegetable growing supplies. A lot of people either got into veggie gardening for the first time or simply upped their game due to the extra time they had on their hands, with nowhere to go. For me personally, it has been fun to see so many enthusiastic gardeners getting into growing their own veggies. But after two years, I can’t help but wonder how many of those gardeners were successful and are still at it and how many have tossed in the towel and moved on. Any kind of recreation has to be fun and rewarding for us to continue to pursue it. If you found yourself struggling or just looking for some advice, here are some tips that will help you be more successful. Good soil is essential. If you are fortunate enough to have good loamy soil, then planting directly into the dirt (with added fertilizer) is the way to go. But if you are like most of us who have rocks and clay, then containers/raised beds will make your gardening life a whole lot easier - the bigger the container the better. Don’t cheap-out on the potting soil. Whether bagged or bulk, spend a little extra and get the good stuff - especially considering that it will last you for years, as long as you enrich it every season with fertilizer. Feed, feed, feed. I am convinced that the single most common reason for poor results when growing vegetables is a lack of food. Manufactured soils (especially bulk blends) are notorious for not having enough food in them to sustain prolonged growth. I always put down extra food and mix it into the soil before I plant. For me that means using a good organic food for veggies along with some lime, earth worm castings, and some trace elements, like oyster shells and Azomite. As you harvest your crops, you will need to re-fertilize the soil if you are planning on replanting for a late season crop. If you are a Miracle-Grow junkie, you will need to feed weekly for maximum results. Either way, if your veggies are just sitting there then chances are that they are starving and need to be fed. Sunshine is critical. There are very few vegetables that will thrive in the shade. Most leafy crops, like spinach, lettuce, and arugula, and broccoli, cauliflower, and brussels sprouts, will do okay. A few root crops, like radishes, carrots, onions, and potatoes, will also tolerate some shade but these will all perform better if they have full sun, especially here in the northwest. If you are growing heat lovers, like tomatoes and peppers, full sun is absolutely essential. Don’t rush the season. This time of year is what we call the cool season, best for growing crops that either produce edible roots (like carrots and beets) or shoots (like lettuce and broccoli). Peas will also grow well now during the cool season. Later towards the end of spring (usually in May) is when it is best to plant the heat lovers, like tomatoes and peppers, cucumbers, squash, eggplant, beans, and corn. Proper watering. Suffice it to say that vegetables, like all plants, will do best if there is consistent water available. The more frequently you check (by sticking your fingers roughly 2 inches into the soil), the more successful you will be. Harvest at the right time. How many of us are guilty of doing our best to get everything right, but then letting the crop get over-ripe? Check your garden daily when plants are getting close to being ready for harvest. Veggies harvested at their peak are usually so sweet that they often never make it into the kitchen - part of the fun of growing your own food! This spring, step outside your comfort zone and grow something for the first time or try growing something new. Whether you grow vegetables for yourself, your family or your whole neighborhood, it can be such a fun and rewarding endeavor - plus nothing really tastes as good as homegrown! Stay safe and keep on gardening.
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Are you thinking of growing some bell peppers in your garden this year, but aren't exactly sure where to start? Bell peppers are actually fairly easy to grow, provided you have the right climate, soil mixture, and meet their watering needs. In this article, organic gardening expert Logan Hailey documents all the steps you'll need to follow in order to successfully plant, grow, and care for bell peppers. Raw or cooked, sliced or diced, bell peppers are a colorful sweet addition to just about any summer meal. This warm-weather crop is a popular nightshade vegetable for any garden. If you loathe spice but still want a sweet crunch, this is the perfect veggie for you. They lack capsaicin, which is the active compound that gives hot peppers their heat. Plus, they yield in abundance all summer long. Peppers are generally a bit more challenging to grow because they need protection from the cold, plenty of water, and extra fertility. If you keep them happy, you will have plenty of sweet peppers for summer meals and winter preservation. Before deciding to add this vegetable to your garden, there’s plenty of important information that you’ll need to digest. You’ll want to learn everything you can about how they grow, before embarking on your pepper planting journey. Let’s dig into how to grow the best bell peppers your garden has ever seen! Propagation and Planting When it comes to propagation and planting, there are a few important factors you need to take into consideration for an effective harvest. Let’s look at some of the basics when it comes to first getting started with planting them in your garden. How Long Do They Take to Grow? It can take up to 90 days for a plant to mature. Bell peppers are warm-season annuals that take 60 to 90 days to mature. This means you need to get them started indoors early in the spring or purchase high-quality seedlings to transplant as soon as the weather is warm and the risk of frost has passed. Many varieties take 65-70 days to grow green fruits, but 85-90 days to produce the coveted ripe red bell peppers. How to Seed Bell Pepper plants perform best when the seeds are started in a tray indoors. Start pepper seeds indoors at least 8-10 weeks before the last frost. They are slow-growing and need plenty of time to get established so you can jumpstart your garden season. Use a south-facing window, grow lights, or a small greenhouse nursery to start pepper seedlings. It also helps to have a heating pad to get the best germination. You can begin with smaller cell trays, 6-pack trays, or a 4” pot. Some gardeners like to start with smaller cells and then up-pot their pepper plants after 3-4 weeks. Others simply start the seedlings in larger round or square pots. Either way, be sure your baby pepper plants are in a consistent warm space above 60°F, preferably with a heating pad underneath to keep soil temperatures around 80-90°F. Use a soil thermometer probe to determine how warm the soil is. Sow pepper seeds about 1/4” deep in a loamy well-drained potting mix. Keep consistently moist (but never soggy!) for 7 to 14 days until germination. They germinate slower in cold soil, so be patient or warm things up! Once the first cotyledons have appeared, back off the watering only slightly to ensure that the seedlings don’t dampen off (rot at the base). Cold treating your bell pepper seedlings can yield a larger harvest. Professional growers use a controlled cold treatment method on their pepper seedlings in order to increase the number of flowers and fruits later on. This is a more advanced technique that requires a controlled space like a small greenhouse with a thermometer and heater. To do it, wait until the third set of true leaves appear and then bring the minimum night temperature inside the nursery down to 53-55°F for 4 weeks. Keep the plants in full sunlight and protect them from harsh winds. After 4 weeks, bring the temperatures up to 70°F all day and night. Then, grow and plant as normal. The plants should be very resilient at this stage. You can yield at least twice as many peppers with this method, however, you will need to seed 1-2 weeks earlier than usual. Direct Sowing is Not Recommended Because bell peppers prefer warmer conditions, direct seeding is not recommended. Because peppers need hot conditions and a long growing season, directly seeding them into the garden is not recommended for most climates. Either buy happy seedlings from a local nursery or farm or grow your own seedlings indoors. Hardening Off Get your young pepper plant seedlings used to outdoor conditions by a method called hardening off. Pepper seedlings need to have an easy transition from the protected indoors to the unpredictable outdoor weather. Begin hardening off plants about 10 days before transplanting. You can do this by placing them in a protected (but still sunny) area outside and bringing them indoors at night for the first 4-5 days. Then, transition to leaving outside all night long while still in their pots. Give peppers plenty of time to adjust to bigger temperature swings. Transplanting Transplanting young seedlings should happen when the weather has warmed up. It is time to transplant when the soil is consistently warm and the risk of frost has passed (typically 2-3 weeks beyond the average last frost date for your region). Seedlings should have robust leaves and small buds, but no open flowers. To transplant bell peppers, begin by gently removing the seedling from its cell, ensuring that its roots have fully filled out the container but haven’t started twirling around and getting root bound. Create a planting hole a few inches deeper and wider than the root ball. Holding at the base of the plant, shimmy the plant out of the container and place it in the soil. Backfill the hole, keeping the soil surface aligned with the top of the root ball. You should never plant peppers deep the way you do with tomatoes. Plant Spacing It’s important to give this plant enough room to grow and have enough airflow. Space peppers at 9-12” apart in rows 24-36” apart, depending on the variety. If you plant them too close together they may become stressed from the competition for space, nutrients, and water, resulting in less vigorous plants. How to Water-In Transplants A phosphorus-rich solution is an excellent addition to your newly transplanted plant. To get your baby plants off to a good start, you can water-in the transplants with a high phosphorus solution such as a liquid seaweed fertilizer. This boosts root establishment and prevents transplanting shock. Use Row Cover Row cover not only keeps warmth and moisture in but also keeps bugs out. Whether they’re sweet or spicy, peppers like the heat. When we’re growing them in temperate climates like most of the United States, we have to do everything in our power to mimic those tropical conditions that peppers love. Row cover is a gardener’s best friend when establishing bell peppers. Floating fabric row covers can be secured over wire hoops to provide a buffer against cold weather and early plantings. The only caveat is that you need to open those low tunnels up if the temperatures get above 85°F. If you forget to remove the row cover on really hot days, blossom drop and heat damage can occur. Companion Planting Tomatoes can make excellent companion plants. Companion planting is a common organic gardening technique that helps improve garden growth by cultivating a diversity of plants that support each other symbiotically. Some bell pepper companion plants repel pests while others attract beneficial predatory insects or pollinators. Leguminous companion plants can add nitrogen to the soil, while ground cover companions help with weed competition.
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Squash is one of those annual fruits that provides year after year in multiple seasons. Some are overwhelmed by the amount of squash they produce and find different ways to store them. You might wonder how summer squash compares to winter squash in this regard. Perhaps you already know that certain methods work best for one or the other, or maybe you’ve decided to grow kabocha, pumpkins, or butternut for the first time. One thing is sure: if you successfully harvest, cure, and store your squash, you can enjoy it year-round. Spaghetti squash in summer, or zucchini all winter long is possible! Harvesting these fruits before the first frost and after the last frost is easy, and the curing process is too. Storing options abound, as well. Food Safety Be sure to follow food safety guidelines when preserving the crops. You should remain vigilant when it comes to safety, especially in canning, preserving, or fermenting foods. Improper storage can cause disease. The CDC has a guide on Home Canning and Botulism. Consult this guide first if any of these methods are unfamiliar to you. Another excellent resource for storing food long-term is the National Center for Home Food Preservation. Their guide for storing long-term is great. Consult this to learn ways to add shelf life to your efforts in the garden. Follow guidelines properly before you embark on this endeavor. How to Store Winter Squash After harvesting the crops, sort out any with soft spots or dings on their surface. After you harvest winter squash, sort out any with soft spots or that have a little ding on the surface. These should be removed from long storage and consumed immediately or composted. Some types, like your butternut squash harvest, should be at the right color for its variety. Once you harvest winter squash, wipe it down with a dry cloth to remove dirt and debris. Cure winter squash in an area at temperatures of 70 to 85°F (21-29°C) with relative humidity at 80 to 85 percent. Make sure the fruit is in a single layer. Some guides recommend curing squash in the sunlight out in the yard. While this is great for some regions, others may be too cold. Proper curing of these winter fruits gives them a hardened protective layer of skin that keeps out mold and rot. It also promotes sweeter and more pleasing flavors by increasing the content of natural sugars in the flesh. Curing also reduces the fruit’s respiration rate, which makes long-term shelf life easier. Curing Times Curing time for the crops will depend on the variety. Harvest all the squash on the vine before the first frost of the growing season. Cure both fully ripe and immature squash. This prevents the rot of fruits and gives you more fodder for cooking experiments. Keep good air circulation around the fruit either with a window screen or a structure made of chicken wire. A root cellar is a great place to cure and store squash from your pre-winter harvest. Properly cured fully matured squash is such a treat. Different winter squashes require different curing times after harvesting. Some don’t require any curing time at all. For instance, pumpkins or pie pumpkins, spaghetti squash, acorn squash, delicata squash, and a few others are ready to eat right after harvesting. In particular, delicata squash has such a thin rind that it can be eaten right along with the flesh. Butternut squash, Hubbard, large kabocha squash, and Lakota squash have specific curing times. It’s essential to cure them for the skin to eventually coalesce for edible fruit. Here is a list of the times needed for each winter variety that requires curing: Butternut: 2 to 6 weeks Hubbard: 4 weeks Large kabocha: 4 to 6 weeks, depending on the variety Lakota: 1 to 2 weeks Dry Storage The crops can be stowed in a dry place for up to 6 months. Winter squash can be stored in a dry place for up to 6 months depending on the variety. In a place with higher humidity than your average kitchen, or colder, they won’t last as long. Store them this way if you don’t want to incur the extra cost involved in canning, fermenting, and preserving. Refrigeration Cooked or pureed crops should be placed in the fridge in an airtight container. Since whole squash is best left in a place with good air circulation at room temperature, the refrigerator isn’t a good option for long-term storage. However, cooked or pureed winter squash keeps in an airtight container or resealable plastic bags for 3 to 5 days in the refrigerator. Of course, this is not a good option for long-term storage, but it’s a great way to enjoy the squash multiple times in one week. Freezing The crops freeze very well by keeping them in a plastic bag or an airtight container in the freezer. Winter squash freezes very well. Keep it in plastic bags or an airtight container in the freezer for up to three months. Butternut squash stored in the freezer can then be used in soups and bread recipes. Note that you must remove the skin before storing it in the freezer. Freezer containers are great for storing winter fruits. Dehydration The crops can be dried in an oven or a dehydrator. To dehydrate winter gourds, peel the skin, cut it in half, and remove the seeds and stem. Save the seeds for next year’s garden, or enjoy them roasted and spiced. Cut the entire squash into ¼ inch strips and steam them until they are tender (about 3 minutes). Then dehydrate them at 140°F (60°C) for 2 to 3 hours. Reduce the temperature to 130°F (54°C) and let the squash dry until it’s brittle. Store it in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Use this method if you have access to a dehydrator or low-temperature oven. Freeze-Drying The crops can be freeze-dried to prolong their storage. Winter squash can be freeze-dried. It is best to cook the squash in your preferred method before freeze-drying as the firm flesh reconstitutes better if pre-cooked. This can prolong other methods of storage, such as smoked squashes. Follow the manufacturer’s directions for your unit. Pickling The crops should be quick-pickled and stowed in the refrigerator for about 1 week. Winter squashes don’t keep at room temperature in cans because they are low-acid foods. It’s essential to refrain from pureeing winter squash for these storage methods. Any winter squash that is pickled or canned should be treated as fresh food and stored in the refrigerator—never at room temperature, which is too warm for foods with low acid content. The result of pickling and storing winter squash in a warm room is botulism. Pumpkins, acorn squash, and butternut squash can be quick-pickled and stored in a refrigerator for about one week. Skin the squash, remove the stem, and seeds. Then slice them or cube them. Make your preferred brine with equal parts vinegar and sugar, and cook the squash in the brine before placing it in your jar. Let it cool and tightly seal it for the refrigerator. Smoking A shot of orange crops being smoked in a smoker in a well lit area outdoors To smoke the crops, a smoker is required, but it will result in some of the tastiest ways to enjoy the crops. Although this method requires access to a smoker, it’s the tastiest way to enjoy winter gourds. It will not, however, store for long. Smoked winter squash should be eaten immediately, or 1 to 2 days after it is prepared. After curing your gourd, cut it in half and remove the seeds and stem. Season it, and wrap it lightly in foil, poking holes in the area where the seed cavity is. This provides ventilation and air circulation that allows the smoke to permeate the skin. Place the squash in the smoker at temperatures of 225 to 230°F (107 to 110°C) for 1 ½ to 2 hours, or your preferred consistency. Serve it whole or sliced, and add butter and other spices. Fermenting Cut the crops into bite-sized pieces, submerge them in brine, then transfer them to a container with a lock. Although it’s not necessary to ferment winter squash, it is possible to do so. It’s important to err on the safe side and treat all forms of canned winter squash as fresh foods rather than those that can withstand long-term storage without spoilage. Use a gourd that is easy to cut into bite-sized pieces. Submerge it in brine, then transfer it to a can that has been pressure sealed, or has a fermentation lock. Allow it to ferment in the refrigerator. Winter squash is great in chutneys, with raisins, cinnamon, and garlic. Properly fermented winter squash will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 year. Once it is opened, consume it within a month. Canning Cube the gourd before placing them in a pressure-sealed container. Canned winter squash must be pressure canned as it is a low-acid food. It is essential that you cube the winter squash rather than puree it. You can always puree it later when you’re ready to use it. This method requires access to a pressure canner, seals, lids, and a tool to remove air bubbles. These aren’t incredibly expensive but can cost around $100 on the lower end. Also, you need space in your kitchen to can gourds and other winter squash. Use a tested and safe recipe from the National Center For Home Food Preservation. Store winter squash in cans for 3 years. Properly canned winter squash can also have a storage life of up to 5 or 6 years. These cans are perfectly ok to store at room temperature, but once you open them, keep an eye on them and consume them quickly.
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Thinking of adding some bleeding heart flowers to your garden, but aren't sure where to start? Bleeding hearts are a shade garden favorite and can grow across many different hardiness zones. In this article, gardening expert Paige Foley explains everything you need to know about bleeding heart flowers and their care.The beautiful pinks, whites and reds of bleeding heart flowers have captured the hearts of many gardeners for years. The heart shaped blooms hang from arched stems like lockets on a necklace. Their low maintenance and ease of establishment are perfect for beginner gardens and experienced gardeners as well. Bleeding heart is a member of the papaveraceae family or better known as the poppy family. They bloom in early spring, shortly after the tulips bloom. They last until early summer but once temperatures become too hot and sunlight is too intense they will go dormant. Bleeding Hearts simply can’t handle the summer heat. If you are looking for an earlier blooming perennial that loves shady conditions, bleeding heart is an excellent choice. Now that you’ve decided to grow bleeding hearts, how do you grow and maintain them? In this article we will take a deeper look at the bleeding heart plants and their care. Ready to learn more? Let’s dig in!Bleeding heart is a cottage garden staple, this early bloom perennial has a unique bloom pattern that sets it apart from all other plants. They stand out from the crowd and everyone knows them for their heart shaped blooms. They have captured the hearts of many gardeners for years. This plant goes by many names. Some other common names are chinese pants, lady’s locket, lady-in-a-bath and tearing heart. They are one of the first plants to bloom in the spring and the blooms are short-lived. They can’t handle the summer heat and quickly become dormant when temperatures get too hot. Many people panic when this happens because the plant looks as if it’s dying. The plant has finished its life cycle of gathering nutrients and has begun to store them. Bleeding hearts are a shorter perennial and only reach 2 to 3 feet in height and width. Keep in mind that it will take them three to four years to reach full mature height. Because of their lower stature, they are excellent in lower flower beds, containers and along the foundation of buildings. One of the most charming and elegant blooms in any garden is the bleeding heart. They have a unique heart shaped bloom with a teardrop beneath that catches the eyes and hearts of many. Their blooms hang like pedants on arched stems. They flower in pinks, whites and reds from early spring to summer. If this is your first year planting them, chances are you may not see the blooms the first year. If they are producing lush, green foliage but not producing blooms, wait until the following year and blooms should appear. Bleeding hearts attract pollinators like bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Plant in a pollinator garden to add a woodland charm and to give pollinators an early bloomer to enjoy. Sunlight can affect how much and often they bloom. If exposed to too much sun, their leaves will yellow and blooms will be far and few between. We will talk about the sunlight requirements a little later in the article.Bleeding hearts are a member of the poppy family and formerly the genus Dicentra spectabilis. In recent years, they changed the genus to Lamprocapnos spectabilis. They are often still referred to by their old name which can be confusing. They are native to northern China and Japan and were brought to England by plant explorers in 1846. Bleeding hearts are award winning plants and a number of varieties have won the Royal Horticultural Award of Garden Merit.
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You can use homemade pizza dough (or store-bought) with leftover rotisserie chicken for the best (speediest) dinner ever!
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Mac and cheese is always better when crisp bacon goodness is involved, especially in this easy stovetop, no-fuss 30 min dish from start to finish!
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