Flowers for September

After the excitement of spring and summer flowers, many gardeners look over their dull September flowerbeds in dismay. There are many fall-blooming plants, however, that add pizazz to the fall…

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Harvesting Winter Squash

Summer squash such as zucchini and scallop are harvested while immature but winter squash such as acorn, hubbard and butternut are harvested later, in the mature stage, after the rind…

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Trees Losing Bark and Dying

Some trees such as sycamore, silver maple and redbuds naturally lose the outer layer of bark, especially during years of good growth. This is a natural process and is not…

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Lettuce Grow Fall Salad Greens

Summer’s end is no reason to stop enjoying garden fresh salads. Many kinds of greens grow well in the cooler days of fall and are less likely to bolt, or…

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Fertilize Strawberries

An August application of nitrogen on spring-bearing strawberries is important in order to increase the number of strawberries produced next spring. Plenty of daylight and warm temperatures during June, July…

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When are Apples Ready to Pick?

Apples mature over a long period of time depending on variety.  Some varieties such as Lodi can mature in July and others as late as October. Here are some guides…

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Milkweed Seed Collecting Time is Just Around the Corner

I noticed yesterday that my butterfly weed plants (Asclepias tuberosa) have pods.  They’re not ready to harvest just yet, but soon.  Collecting milkweed seeds is an important way we can…

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How to Pick a Ripe Melon

Telling when a melon is ready to be harvested can be a challenge, or it may be quite easy. It all depends on the type of melon. Let’s start with…

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Squash Vine Borer

If you have squash or related plants that suddenly wilt and die, you may have squash vine borer. This insect will bore into the stems of squash, zucchini, pumpkins and…

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