After an extended hiatus, we’re back and ready to bring you some amazing new episodes of the Encyclopedia Botanica Podcast!
Read MoreFall 2021 New Season Preview Mini-Episode!
Late-summer garden harvest from Hilary and Colin’s home garden
Organic Insecticides: Soap Spray
Aphids on parsley
Probably the most commonly used home gardening spray is a simple mixture of soap and water. This mixture can help control or eliminate hordes of insects. It’s especially useful for aphids, but works on any soft-bodied insect including spider mites. The soap coats the insects and breaks down their cell membranes, drying them out and killing them relatively quickly. This spray is nontoxic and is safe to use around children and pets.
Read MoreHomemade Sambal Hot Sauce
We spend a lot of time during the summer and early fall processing the most perishable vegetables like green beans and tomatoes. Therefore, hot peppers tend to sit in waiting for a month or two before we have time to deal with them. This recipe works best with fresh or relatively fresh peppers, but still works even if the peppers are starting to dry out and shrivel up.
Read MoreMid-Summer Succession Planting
Mid-July brings warmer weather to many regions, and this weather brings the end of pea season. It’s also the time when garlic and onions (bulbing alliums) have matured and are ready to be pulled from the garden to make room for another crop. So...what’s next? Just when you thought your garden was full and it was time to sit back and enjoy the bounty, it’s time to start planting again! There’s rarely a dull moment in a high-yield vegetable garden!
Read MoreGardening With Kids: Summer Crop Edition
Honeybee on cilantro flower
Late spring is a particularly good time to launch new garden activities. As spring turns to summer, seeds germinate more quickly, sometimes within days of seeding; transplanted crops start to grow at a breakneck speed, often with daily growth that can actually be measured with a ruler; and the variety of insects and pollinators in the garden abounds!
Read MoreCrop Planning: A year in my home Garden
April 28th in the garden described below.
Crop planning for the vegetable garden often feels overwhelming to new (and experienced) growers. There are many different schools of thought on how to plan and layout annual crops. As a result, there’s lots of conflicting information out there to confuse the well-intentioned researcher.
At Seattle Urban Farm Co., we create plans for 70 gardens each year. Our garden plans are devised to maximize the garden’s productivity, while keeping them neat and tidy. We organize our plantings to make ongoing maintenance as easy as possible.
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