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Vegetable Gardening

Tomato plant with yellow flowers

Your patience has paid off, plant tomatoes and peppers now

In late May and early June, folks worry it is too late to plant warm-season crops like tomatoes and peppers. Plant now, the timing is perfect for rapid root establishment and healthy plant growth. With an average high of 76ºF and an average low of 55ºF, chilly nights (temperatures less than 50ºF)...
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Two shovels laying in dirt

Give your garden a rest; tend to Mom this weekend

Your ambition to start your summer vegetable garden is stunting your tomato and pepper plants. This Sunday, let Mom distract you from the gardening itch. She is worth the time and your warm-season plants will thank you for waiting.  I learned this lesson personally last year. I...
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White onions with green tops growing in a raised bed.

Decrease your grocery list by planting onions

Do you grow peppers and tomatoes every year? Are you ready to try something different (or maybe in addition to!) the same-old, same-old? Then you should try growing onions this gardening season. With just 30 square feet of planting area, you could grow the bulk of the onions you cook with this year...
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A young girl sits in grass with a pile of harvested vegetables

Garden with your kids this summer

Cultivating a love and knowledge of gardening in youth can be a rewarding experience for all. A garden offers a place to learn, play, and grow through hands-on experience in the freedom of their own backyard. Kids LOVE to dig in the soil and get their hands & feet (or even head to toes!) dirty...
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Oats, Outi Mähönen, via Unsplash

Spring cover crops help start the season weed-free

Do you struggle with weed control in the spring before planting your summer garden? Does your garden lose topsoil after a heavy rain due to slope? Would you like to improve soil structure and add organic matter to your garden? Backyard cover cropping is for you! At the time of...
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beet greens and red lettuce. Photo by Kelly Allsup

4 Super cool greens to grow in early spring

Every gardener should be thinking about growing their own greens in the spring. They are easy to grow, have large harvests, and taste best when grown in slightly cooler weather. The plants should be grown in full sun beds or containers.   Kale is a cool-weather crop that...
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seedling under plastic lid. creative commons.

Seed starting woes? Ask the pros

Originally published by Kelly Allsup on February 19, 2021. Who would have known seeds would be the latest craze in 2021? Many seed companies are finding it hard to keep up with the demand and are out of stock or delayed in delivery. If you haven’t ordered your seeds, don’t fret, some are...
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