Is there anything better — or harder to replicate at the grocery store — than a home-grown garden tomato? Many parts of the country are still too cool to put tomatoes in the ground, but it won’t be just a couple of weeks until seedlings have the sun and warmth they need. For best results, bury seedlings deep to cover their stems and pinch off the “sucker” blossoms that form in the branch crotches of maturing plants, The Spruce says. Give plants plenty of water and sunlight, and in approximately 75 to 90 days, you’ll have a bumper crop to share.
Tag: growing vegetables
Start Your Garden With Root Vegetables and Greens
The final frost of the season is now history in most parts of the country, so it’s safe to sow new annuals, perennials and and edible garden. Sow the seeds of cold-tolerant root #vegetables such as carrots and radishes first, alongside fast-sprouting leafy greens such as Swiss Chard and spinach; then move on to hot-weather starter plants such as tomatoes and peppers. If you’re looking for color rather than a meal, snapdragons, alyssum and marigolds can go into your garden and window boxes now, House Beautiful says.
It’s (Probably) Time to Plant Your Vegetable Garden
Last year, there was a huge uptick in vegetable #gardening after the #COVID-19 lockdowns went into effect. If you were among those who took up a new hobby to keep busy in your extra at-home time, you know that vegetable gardening offers its own rewards in healthy, flavorful nutrition. But even if you didn’t, it’s time to put some of your favorite herbs, fruits and vegetables in the ground! Check out this handy planting calendar from Gilmour to determine when to plant in your area.
Start Sprouting a Spring Victory Garden
An uptick in vegetable gardening that occurred last year as COVID-19 lockdowns went into effect seems set to repeat this year. Now’s the time to start the seeds of a pandemic victory garden, since germinating plants hardy enough to transplant can take six to eight weeks. Gardeners will be rewarded with fresh food and a new sense of security, Rose Hayden-Smith, food historian and author of Sowing the Seeds of Victory, told HuffPost: “It’s helpful to be productive and connect with nature, and it’s something that’s within our control in a situation that feels entirely out of control.”
Early Spring Planting Produces a Sumptuous Salad
Once your soil is ready for planting — meaning it is dry, free of ice crystals and crumbles easily — you can start planting spring vegetables, Eartheasy says. Early-spring crops offer the makings of a great salad: lettuce, mustard greens, Swiss chard, peas, spinach and leeks. To keep the table stocked with healthy, homegrown vegetables for months at a time, add varieties that take a longer to mature, such as broccoli, cabbage, radishes, kale, onions and new potatoes. “If you expect a hard frost, cover seedlings overnight with anything you have on hand: an overturned bucket or cardboard box, large flowerpot, a portable garden cloche, or a clod frame.”