Good Growing

Latest Posts

Christmas Tree Selection

December 3, 2020

Some of my fondest memories of Christmas growing up was venturing out to get a Christmas tree together as a family. Most of the time we just found a misshapen red cedar tree from our timber; however, when choosing a Christmas tree, ideally you want something that has good shape, color, and branch...

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How to winterize outdoor plumbing - irrigation, hoses, spigots

November 26, 2020

Leftovers. Is this why we only eat turkey once a year? Because after all the leftovers we are sick of giant poultry? Nah! I think turkey is simply more of a seasonal thing. We grow up seeing a turkey as the Thanksgiving centerpiece. To eat a whole turkey any other time just feels wrong. It’s like...

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pots with dormant plants covered in snow clustered together on a porch

Overwintering potted plants

November 18, 2020

Have you ever gone a little overboard buying plants and run out of room or energy to plant them all in the fall and figured it could wait until spring, only to find out most, or all have died? Or maybe you’ve had a container planter with perennials and excitedly waited for them to resume growth in...

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Selecting Hybrids and Varieties for 2021

November 11, 2020

As the harvest hustle and fall field work start to slow, it is time to reflect on the growing season to see what worked well and start making decisions for the next season. On farm yield data from the current season is a great way to evaluate hybrid and variety performance. For choosing new or...

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Dealing with plant pandemics

November 5, 2020

I bet you’re sick of reading about elections and politics. Fortunately, the Good Growing column is a welcome escape. Today I would like to dive into diseases. Oh, that’s right. We’re kind of in the middle of a global pandemic and I bet “disease” is not on the top of your list either. Within our...

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More spooky and scary plants

October 28, 2020

It’s Halloween time again! Last year we had the inaugural list of Spooky and Scary Plants. While trick-or-treating and Halloween parties may look a little different this year, here are some more ‘...

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So MANY Leaves!

October 22, 2020

As leaves fall from the trees each year, some may find beauty in the reds, yellows, and orange as they blanket the ground, while others may see hours of work ahead of them as they rake or mow the leaves to remove them. Regardless, leaves provide many benefits in the yard and garden other than just...

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Dealing with Fall Drought: Get your plants ready for winter

October 16, 2020

Small farms and local foods educator and fellow contributor to the Good Growing column, Katie Parker, was kind enough to let me borrow her hollow-core aerator, to give my compacted lawn some much needed relief. As Katie wrote in a...

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pine with fall displaying fall needle drop, older needles are turning yellow while newer needles remain green

Evergreens losing needles: Fall needle drop

October 8, 2020

The arrival of fall/autumn brings not only cooler temperatures but also a change in scenery. Our...

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planting spring bulbs amongst fall perennials

Fall Gardening Tasks

October 1, 2020

Fall is here; not only does the calendar tell us that it is officially here, but our days are getting shorter, the temperatures are cooler, combines are rolling in the fields, mums decorate front porches, and the trees are starting to turn. As our summer activities in the garden wind down, there...

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