Trees made the Green Mountains green all summer and now provide the beauty of autumn across the Vermont landscape.  Nature is now releasing them from their trees to add fertility and build soil.  We should convert those rich leaves into compost, not remove them as is often the misguided custom.  This message is all about not raking leaves and how to enrich your soil with your own compost. Since the first green buds of spring, tree roots have been pulling up essential minerals from deep in the earth to feed their growth and productivity.  Those nutrient minerals (calcium, ir ..read more

Seed Saving.  Gardeners and farmers have traditionally saved seeds from their favorite plants because we know that is the best way to have the best varieties and strains adapted to your local conditions.  Seeds contain the genetics of the parent plants and if you have a favorite heirloom tomato, bean or lettuce that does well for you why not save some seeds for next year?  Besides, they are free and abundant right now!  Seed Savers Exchange has been promoting seed saving for many years and offers very practical advice for beginners to get started. Not all plants lend themse ..read more

The rains of July and August have promoted plant diseases, weeds, soil nutrient loss, and some pests.  While harvesting onions, potatoes, tomatoes, and other vegetables it’s important to keep weeding and begin soil preparations for next year’s garden. Potatoes, onions, and winter squashes will store better if they are “cured” in a warmer space before storing.  Pest control in Brassicas is still needed to protect our late harvests from cabbage worms and aphids.  Finally, it’s time to harvest some herbs like basil (pesto!) and dill seeds and plant some more salad greens (but not b ..read more

We are in peak garden season and there’s a lot happening out there. The rainy start of July made two practices essential: weeding and disease control.  While you enjoy some satisfying harvests and flowers, stay alert to slugs and new pests to prevent damage and plant disease introduction. There are some more things that can be planted now too. Garlic harvest is almost here so let’s look at the best way to harvest, cure, and select your crop. Weeds are growing too and it’s important to prevent them from producing seed that will come back next year. This week we’ll look at these topics plus ..read more

June brings better gardening weather, what a welcome change!  Although it’s been dry for Vermont spring, recent rains have created better conditions to get new plants into their outdoor homes for the summer.  Broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, onions, and salad greens have mostly been planted out.  It’s time for heat loving plants like basil, tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, squash, okra, sweet potatoes, & peppers to be in the ground.  Annual flowers like geraniums, petunias, marigolds, nasturtiums, and snapdragons will do well outside now too.  Early transplanted tomatoes ..read more

There are many advantages to growing in raised beds and we really should consider them for any garden.  Whether you are beginning a new garden or wish to improve an established garden, raised beds will make your garden more productive, more convenient, and are less work in the long run (no tilling, ever!). Raised beds do very well in the hilly, rocky, weedy, cool, wet, northern New England conditions.    Raised Beds.  While building raised beds will require some extra effort in the beginning, they will save you work later plus all the benefits are well worth the effort.&nbs ..read more

We’re finally in the time of year when we can plant some things into the ground.  Some seeds can go in early, other seeds & plants need to wait for warmer days.  How do we know what to plant when?  In April and early May most soil is still too wet to dig or till unless you have raised beds.  Let’s look at several ways to help determine when it’s best to plant seeds or put out transplants.  Also, a few words about the benefits of not mowing lawns in May and what good are wasps. Frost Free Dates.  Most plants can’t take a real “frost” (happens when the air is st ..read more

Despite our recent wintry week April is National Garden Month so now is a great time to think about starting a garden and all the planning and choices that involves.  Most basically, “What should I grow?” depends on what you want to eat or to see in your yard, and the kind of work you can do.  Soil & climate conditions in Vermont place some limits on our choices but we do have a great selection of hardy fruits, vegetables, and flowers that do very well here.  We are in Agricultural Zone 4 or 5, depending on location and altitude so we need to pay attention to the “Hardiness ..read more

My guess is that you garden because you enjoy growing plants for flowers and for some food. It is a great satisfaction to bring in food & flowers that you grew yourself.  My hope is that you do this mostly using organic practices.  Perhaps you also buy organic foods when you can.  If you also feel that organic foods tend to be too expensive to buy all the time, you might like to watch this short (3 minute) video published by PBS on the real cost of organic foods (or, why is “cheap” food so cheap?).  This is a very helpful introduction to the important issue of food prod ..read more

When our snow is replaced by slippery mud, it’s a sure sign that spring is almost here!  We are now getting just over 12 hours of daylight per day and that stimulates new plant growth.  It also makes our gardens irresistible on warmer days.  Don’t be tempted to get too ambitious just yet, but there are several jobs that can be done before working in the soil.  Houseplants and indoor sheltered garden plants will benefit from feeding now and some seeds can be planted indoors now..  I prefer to use a liquid fish or seaweed fertilizer for its slow release of micronutrients ..read more