Fungal disease that makes potatoes ugly. They can still be eaten, and it supposedly doesn’t reduce crop yield, but infected potatoes won’t store well. There are a few different forms of scab (Common Scab & Powdery Scab). There’s no treatment, but soil moisture & pH levels are ways to manage it. Physical Description Caused by soil-borne […]
Gel Sowing is a method of starting seeds indoors, where seedling emergence is 2-3 weeks earlier than with dry-sown seeds and higher yields have been shown for slow-germinating crops like early carrots, parsnips, tomatoes and onions. It also makes for a safer way to plant out the seedlings, without damaging the roots. Awesome for areas with […]
Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is a species of beneficial nematode sold commercially by the name “NemaSeek Hb”. These nematodes seek out plant root pests and larvae of insect pests. These beneficial organisms parasitize the larva or pupa of the pest while it’s in the soil, and sometimes above ground nymph or adult insects. How to Use Find usage […]
Symphylans are very small, white, many segmented organisms that you may see in your soil when you pull up a struggling plant. You will notice them darting and scurrying quickly about the root ball or seedling plug. They are also known as symphlans, or “symphys”, pseudocentipedes, or garden centipedes, even though they are not centipedes. They are […]
Leeks are a cold-weather crop, but there’s no need to pull them when it gets warm out: letting them go to seed allows them to reseed themselves for the fall, plus the pollinators and predatory insects love their flowers. They are really cool looking, too. Botanical Information Taxonomy Allium ampeloprasum History Leeks originated in the […]
It seems as though most people know how to grow a carrot, but I have not had good luck in my own garden. Hence: How to Grow Carrots. General Info: Carrots that are allowed to flower and go to seed provide tons of volunteer plants for the next season. It’s like automatic succession gardening. REOG-96: […]
Ambiguous symptoms like wilting and failure to thrive are the most common symptoms of a root-knot nematode infestation. The only way to determine if this is the problem is to inspect the roots for galls or nodes. A number of other nematode species also can damage home garden and landscape plants including the ring nematode […]
Deciduous fruit and nut trees, along with some flowers and biennial vegetables, need a certain number of hours of cold temperatures in order to break winter dormancy. This winter chilling is known as chilling, winter chill, or vernalization. The chilly temperatures actually break down the hormones that are preventing the tree or plant from growing. […]
Onions are a fantastic addition to the veggie garden because they can fit in to lots of spots, help distract pests, and can be harvested and eaten at any time! It can be a challenge to get onions to get to be big bulbs – water and daylight hours are the key. Botanical Information Taxonomy […]