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- From Garden to Plate: Fresh Flavors, Naturally Grown
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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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When growing a mango tree, you'll need to know how to properly care for it. The reward is delicious tropical mango fruit! Jillian Balli will share our tips and secrets to mango success!For many of us, mangos are thought to be an occasional luxury treat due to the price and availability of fruit. Luckily, growing a mango tree at home is not impossible. It is time to stop depriving yourself of this delicious tropical treat and grow your own mangos! Although they are tropical trees, mangos can be grown in the ground in zones 9-11 or in containers in zones 4-11. Mango fruit is incredibly delicious to eat on its own but growing your own will allow you to get creative and enjoy them in different ways. The mango fruit can be used in smoothies, salsas, ice creams, and so much more. They can even be frozen or dehydrated so they can be enjoyed any time of the year. Whether you have a large space or a small patio, there’s a mango variety fit for you. There are hundreds of mango varieties available throughout different parts of the world. Local nurseries will carry types that are well adapted to your growing conditions. This guide will cover all the basics of growing a mango tree and provide some information on great varieties.Mangifera indica, commonly known as the mango tree, is a large tropical evergreen tree is known to grow up to 100 feet. It produces sweet, succulent tropical fruit in the summer and is often grown as an ornamental tree in gardens.
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When it comes to growing your own food, you want to consume the healthiest produce and ensure that you are continuing the safest practices possible. This is why organic gardening and the techniques associated with it are so important in our day and age. While much of the world has given themselves over to GMO (genetically modified organism) plants with unknown chemical compositions, organically focused growers are continuing onward with traditional methods that are thousands of years old. Not only is this the most feasible option, it is also the most nutritious and most logical way to grow our food. When growing organic food, you know exactly what you are going to be putting into your mouth, rather than the modern practice of ignoring unknown chemicals and mutations in your food. This means that you are going to avoid unknown complications from chemically induced mutations and will logically ensure that you are only eating food that you know is healthy for you. This practice has been proven to improve your health and comes with no unknown health risks, unlike the alternative. Organic gardening challenges and rewards Growing using more traditional methods does come with some challenges that seem unique in our current world. While GMO plants grow under almost any conditions, cultivating natural varieties takes more time and added attention to their proper growing conditions. This can manifest in the form of extended growing times, shade requirements, soil drainage needs, and even fertilizer needs. However, these challenges have been around for centuries and there are easy solutions available for each and every one of them. Growing in this manner does have a number of benefits outside of health as well. There are exciting opportunities to create familial heirloom varieties that can be passed on to newer generations or cross bred with other gardener’s crops. This is possible because heirloom seeds and plants grown using natural methods maintain their ability to produce viable seeds, something that mainstream crops have lost. This lack of terminal seeds makes breeding and continuing on centuries old traditions easy and cost efficient. Organic gardening preparation When choosing to create an organic garden you will need to ensure that you have the correct tools, soil, and maintenance plan in place. The best way to accomplish this is by researching the crop that you want to buy, purchasing seeds from a reputable breeder, and then following their instructions for the crop. Any good breeder will give you information about the soil, shade, water, and growth needs of the seeds that they sell. Heal the worldThe next step is to ensure that your soil is the right condition for the seeds and that it will be able to sustain life. This is usually accomplished by getting a soil test and then correcting for any deficiencies in the soil. When doing this you should avoid any and all commercial treatments as they contain unknown components and can damage the soil or transfer over to your produce. Instead, organic matter such as manure, moss, clippings, and fungi can be introduced and tilled into the soil to create the correct nutrient profile. Organic garden maintenance Once you have begun growing your crop you will want to ensure that you continue with natural maintenance methods. Avoid chemical additives like Miracle Grow for water, commercial potting soils, and any root additives. It is also important to avoid any pesticides and sprays that contain inorganic compounds. Remember, anything that you put in the ground, on your plants, or into the water can end up in your mouth and in your body as well. Depending on the variety that you have chosen to plant you may have different harvest times. It is important to keep track of approximate dates and to check on your plants every single day. When growing traditional produce you will have a much shorter time to harvest and utilize your crop as they have not been engineered with preservatives. However, this means that they will always taste fresh when they are picked and will have a much fuller flavor profile than anything you buy at the store. Any fruit or vegetable that you grow using organic methods will be healthier and have a better taste than chemically treated foods. The unadulterated flavors contained within your harvested goods will ensure that all of your food has vibrant and exciting flavors. By avoiding the chemical infestation of modern GMO foods you prevent traditional breeding and growth methods from stalling and ensure that a new generation of real food will be created and enjoyed by health conscious individuals.
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Windy weather and harsh rains threaten weak trees! Their young, thin trunks bend under the pressure. Some saplings need the pressure to grow strong, while others require staking to reach tall and wide. Learn when and how to stake your trees alongside seasoned landscaper Jerad Bryant. Not all trees need staking, but some do. Stakes allow young saplings to grow strong and thick if they struggle to stand straight. Most trees are fine, as they correct bends in their trunk when they mature and grow thicker. Others aren’t as lucky and require some extra help before they mature. You’ll want to stake these three types of woody plants: young saplings, new transplants, and weak trees. They benefit from some stabilization early in life. After a season or two of staking, their trunks will be thick and sturdy enough to handle wind, ice, and excessive rain. These staking steps guide you through the process whether you have a new transplant or an established specimen. Sideways saplings will be towering, straight trees after a season or two of support. Follow along to get your species looking tall, sturdy, and vigorous! Does Your Tree Need Staking? Not all trees need staking! They develop stronger trunks if they don’t receive support when young. The natural sway and shifting that occurs in windy conditions causes the plant to release chemicals called cytokinins. These chemicals cause the trunk’s cells to expand and grow thicker, creating strong and woody plant tissues. Staking won’t hurt your specimen, though, as most trees recover after a few seasons of rapid growth. Stake yours if it is growing in an intensely windy location, if the trunk is too weak to stand without support, or if the topmost branches are larger than the bottom half of the tree. Young Sapling Perhaps you grew a cherry tree from a seed, or there’s a young specimen in your yard from last year’s planting. Young saplings generally don’t require staking, unless they’re weak or have a lopsided structure. Bendy trees are okay, so long as they straighten after the wind subsides. If your saplings bend and stay bent, they’ll need stakes for extra support until they can handle their weight. Tying them to stakes while they’re young allows them to grow straight before they start thickening their trunks. New Transplant The best time to stake a tree is when you transplant it—you’ll already be digging a hole where you can drill in the supporting poles. Some transplants won’t need staking, while others will. If your transplant bends over in the wind or has a small root ball that pulls out of the hole, you’ll want to tie down your tree. The process for staking new transplants differs from staking ones with roots in the ground. Fear not, as we’ll cover what to do in both situations. Weak Tree Older specimens sometimes need support if their tops grow heavier than their trunks can manage. Help them grow straight, and they’ll stay robust without aid for decades to come. Trees that recently lost some of their roots from digging or animal activity are also good candidates for stakes while they recover. The rule of thumb is this: if the tree bends but rights itself without help, it doesn’t need staking. It needs stakes if it falls over, grows sideways, or leans excessively. Step 1: Bury Two Sturdy Stakes The first step involves planting stakes in the ground that act as sturdy anchoring bases. They create two more reinforcing structures for the sapling so that it stays straight despite stormy conditions. How you bury the stakes depends on what type of tree you have. When transplanting woody shrubs or trees that require reinforcement, you’ll want to bury the stakes into opposite ends of the hole near the root ball. Drill two wooden or metal stakes so that they oppose each other with the tree in the middle. Arrange them so that the strongest winds flow through the space between them. Existing trees are much easier to help. Simply bury or drill two stakes on opposite ends of the tree. Like with new transplants, arrange them so that the strongest winds flow through the space between them. Use stakes the right size for your trees—they should be a little taller than where the topmost shoots branch off the main trunk. Step 2: Determine The Support Point The support point is where the ties attach to the tree. It’s where tying cables to your plant will best help it stay straight. Find it with this simple trick: Start three feet above the ground, putting two fingers behind the trunk to raise it. Keep raising your fingers higher until they fully support the tree. Mark the spot on the trunk. The support point is six inches above this mark. This point is generally low on young saplings and taller for existing specimens. It’s crucial to tie cables to the support point and not lower or higher on the trunk. A high placement leads to wood snapping, and a low placement doesn’t keep the canopy upright. Follow this trick to find where to tie cables, no matter how old or young the plant is. Step 3: Tie Tree To Stakes What type of ties you use greatly impacts how well they work. Wires or soft-coated wires never work, as they eventually girdle trunks after digging into their wood. Use fabric, canvas, or rubber collars that are sturdy but giving. With some flexibility, your specimen can wave in the wind while benefitting from additional structure. Easily tie up your tree once you have stakes in the soil. Attach one end of the tie to the metal or wooden stake and the other to the tree’s support point. Stagger the second tie below or above this one on the trunk, and tie its other end to the second stake. You’ll want the ties to be tight with some leeway. Create enough slack on each tie for the trunk to move two inches in any direction. This extra room is crucial for strong trunk development—it partially triggers the release of cytokinins that thicken and reinforce the wood. Step 4: Remove Stakes and Ties Six months to a year later it’ll be time to remove those stakes! The supports are temporary aids that boost the tree to grow well on its own. Leave them too long and they’ll start to hinder growth rather than support it. So, how do you know when to remove them? Trees are ready to live without stakes when they survive wind, rain, or snow without gaining a permanent bend. If you remove the ties and notice your tree still leans, refasten them and check on the sapling in a month or two. Stakes are ready to remove when the tree doesn’t bend or lean on its own and the roots seem to have a strong base. Push the tree a bit to see how it reacts, and make your best judgment call based on how it moves. After six months the support point may have shifted—you can use the test with two fingers to redetermine where it is. Step 5: Repeat for Weak Trees Sometimes, woody species struggle to establish themselves in harsh conditions. Or, extreme storms damage them so they need fastening again. Whatever the reason is for a weak tree, there’s no harm in refastening stakes and ties to help it another time. Repeat this staking process as often as necessary until the saplings grow up and out without help. Some species sprout weak, quick-growing wood, while others are hardier but slower-growing. Adjust your staking period to match the trees’ needs and they’ll thank you with sturdy growth! Follow up with yearly additions of compost on top of the soil, and prune dead or diseased wood. Your trees will grow happy, healthy, and sturdy as they structure themselves in their best shapes. You’ll marvel at the old specimens and remember how they were once weak, young saplings that needed your help.
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Growing cucumbers vertically is a fantastic space-saving option.Growing cucumbers is a rite of passage in a summer vegetable garden. With their refreshing crunch and abundant nutrients, what’s not to love? Well, as it turns out, growing cucumbers can be a hassle without proper planning. This is particularly due to the unruly vines that dominate precious garden space. Luckily, you can direct the growth in a better direction: up. Is it Better to Grow Cucumbers Vertically? Growing cucumbers vertically comes with many benefits. Vertical gardening is popular right now but has actually been around since 3000 BCE. Besides saving space, there are many benefits that have kept it around for so long: Better air circulation, which keeps the plant dry and free of rot and fungal diseases. Cucumber leaves can spread out and enjoy more sun exposure. No more killing your back! Vertical gardening means you won’t have to bend over to harvest the cukes. Cucumbers will grow straight when they’re hanging from the vine instead of sitting on the ground. Vertical gardening requires less ground space, which means less weeding! That doesn’t mean it’s impossible to grow cucumbers on the ground. But growing vertically does greatly increase your chances of a better harvest.
Read MoreFind and share everyday cooking inspiration on Allrecipes. Discover recipes, cooks, and how-tos based on the food you love and the friends you follow.
We’re hot and spicy… literally!
"This is my version of Ruby Tuesday's New Orleans Tilapia. Tilapia fillets are baked then topped with alfredo sauce, sauteed red peppers and garlic cooked shrimp. I'm not very good at copycatting recipes, but we had this last night and it was mighty fine."
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"A perfect dish for a special brunch or light dinner! To insure that the crust does not get soggy and the custard is fully cooked, besure to add the filling to a warm, partially baked crust."
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"This is a recipe I am transferring here from an old handwritten recipe card. I have no idea where it came from, but I have made it many times over the years and we really like it. (There are several recipes for Cajun pork chops here, but the dry rub mixture in this recipe has different ingredients.)"
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