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    Vegetable Garden Tips for April

    Shallots and greens in the winter garden

    How to Prepare a Planting Bed Newly established planting beds and planting beds that have been used in past seasons must be readied for the coming growing season. To prepare an established planting bed for the growing season you must decide what is going to be planted in the bed. While most planting beds are […] More

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    November Planting and To-Dos Zone-by-Zone

    succession crops

    The vegetable garden will finish its transition to the cool season in November in the Northern Hemisphere. Cool-season greens and root crops should be in the ground now. Gardeners must be prepared to protect winter crops from frost in southern regions to snow and ice in northern gardens. Winter vegetables can be grown in plastic […] More

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    Garden Tips for October

    Pumpkin in October

    October is the right time to prepare for the coming frost and cold weather. How will you extend the season if your summer crops are not yet ready for harvest? How will you protect your autumn and winter garden from snow and freezing temperatures? We have put together a roundup of things to do starting […] More

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    Garden Tips for September

    Fall vegetable garden

    The weather will direct your efforts in the vegetable garden in early autumn–September. Frost may strike even the mildest regions in early autumn. Know the average first frost date for your area. This date will allow you to plan your garden activities; you may have plenty of days to get new crops in or you […] More

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    Timeless Garden Tips for February

    Cool weather crops1

    February is a busy month for the vegetable gardener. In many regions, indoor and outdoor sowing and planting will begin. Gardeners in warm regions already have seed in the ground. In cold regions, where there is snow on the ground, February is still time for making plans and preparing for spring.  Here are some tips […] More

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    September Vegetable Garden

    Summer squash and zucchini

    Vegetable crops will begin to take longer to ripen in September. Give melons, limas, and tomatoes more time to ripen naturally. Eggplants are ready for harvest when they are shiny. Beans, cucumbers, melons, zucchini, and summer squash will not ripen or mature once they are picked. They will keep for a week or two in […] More

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    Summer Crops Planting Guides

    Late spring and early summer is the time to set out heat-loving crops–tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, cucumbers, zucchini, squashes, cucumbers, okra, and melons. Plant these crops where they will get plenty of sunshine for rapid growth and timely harvests. Work plenty of aged compost or commercial organic planting mix into the beds, mounds, and hills ahead […] More

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    March Vegetable Garden

    Sowing seed in the garden

    Snow. Blustery and windy. Mild and sunny. March brings the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Spring for the northern hemisphere will arrive on March 20, the vernal equinox. On this day, the sun rises directly in the east and sets directly in the west. There will be exactly 12 hours from sunrise […] More

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    December Vegetable Garden Zone-by-Zone

    Cabbage Snow Cover

    Winter arrives on December 21. The shortest day of the year. There is never a shortage of things to do in the garden, even in winter. Update your garden records from last season and review your garden design. What worked and what can be improved this coming growing season? Now is the time to plan […] More

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    Seed Starting Vegetables in March

    Biodegradable pots

    To get a head start on the growing season, start your vegetable seeds indoors. Cold soil and unsettled weather will challenge seeds sown directly in the garden in early spring. Cool-season crops that are the easiest to start from seed indoors are broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, leeks, and lettuce. Warm-season crops to start indoors […] More

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    Seed Starting Vegetables in February

    Pepper seedlings

    Starting seed in the garden can be challenging, especially early in the season. Garden soil either too cold or too wet are the chief obstacles to germination in late winter and early spring. The solution: start seeds indoors early in the season. Vegetables that are the easiest to start indoors from seed are broccoli, Brussels […] More

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    February Vegetable Garden

    Crops in winter leeks and cabbage1

    February is a busy month for the kitchen gardener. In many regions, indoor and outdoor sowing and planting is underway. Some gardeners already have seeds in the ground. In the coldest regions, where there is snow on the ground, February is still the time for making plans and preparing for spring. Planting in February Snow […] More