Category: Home & Garden

You can read more about general cacti and succulent care here. In this article, we will be going over the proper soil that your cactus desires.

Here are the topics we will be discussing:

What Is Cactus Soil?

Cactus potting soil or potting mix is a unique blend of inorganic materials like sand, gravel, pumice, and perlite.

The mixture can also include a touch of organic material like potting soil, pine bark, or peat moss. This perfect recipe is carefully crafted for the success of your beloved prickly friends.

The special mixture is designed to provide excellent drainage and aeration, making it perfect for growing cacti and succulents.

Say goodbye to soggy roots! It’s specifically tailored to meet the needs of these water-wise plants that dislike wet mediums and excess moisture.

By using a specific blend, you can create an ideal environment for your cacti, allowing them to thrive and make a beautiful addition to your indoor space with minimal fuss.

Indoor Cactus Needs

To provide the ideal conditions for these plants to thrive indoors, regular potting soil simply won’t cut it. They require something different to suit their tastes.

Cacti have shallow, delicate root systems that require a potting medium as unique as they are, with the proper characteristics.

This blend, specifically formulated to mimic their native desert, tropical, or subtropical environment, is the key.

While many of these plants prefer sunny locations with intense heat and minimal rainfall it’s essential to note that some species can also be found in tropical environments, where they may encounter more moderate to high levels of rainfall compared to their desert counterparts.

The soil substrate addresses their needs by being lightweight, well-draining, and low in organic matter to prevent excess moisture retention that can lead to root rot.

By using it, you can create the perfect environment for your plants, allowing them to flourish and thrive in your indoor space.

Can I Use Regular Potting Mix?

This isn’t a regular potting mix and mighty cactus soil face-off, but let’s talk about the differences between the two products.

Regular potting soil may be packed with organic matter like peat moss and compost, and it provides the perfect home for most plants. But cacti are rebels and they don’t play by the same rules.

As stated earlier, these plants prefer a mix that’s less rich in organic matter, featuring the likes of perlite, pumice, grit, gravel, and sand. It’s a gritty composition that sets the succulent medium apart.

Regular potting mix, with all its organic goodness, has a knack for retaining moisture. This blend is best suited to keeping plants hydrated. Cacti unfortunately don’t crave these same levels of moisture and prefer a medium that quickly drains.

When it comes to aeration, these plants have delicate roots that need space to breathe. Regular potting mix can be a bit dense, hindering proper air circulation. But a lightweight and airy blend provides the ideal environment for those roots to thrive.

Cacti often endure long dry spells followed by sudden bursts of rain in their native environments. To mimic this natural rhythm, they need soil blends that drain like lightning.

And last but not least, let’s talk about nutrients. Regular potting blends provide a feast for plants, rich with nutrients and often boosted with fertilizers. But guess what? Cacti like it a bit more rugged.

These plants prefer a nutrient-poor environment, thriving in the wild with minimal fuss. The best potting blend provides just what they need.

So there you have it, the tale of two soils. With its unique composition, impeccable drainage, and perfect balance of aeration, the right potting mix sets the stage for cacti to shine, embracing their desert spirit.

Take the time to gather your ingredients and tools. You will need a trowel or shovel, a measuring cup, and a large container or bucket for mixing.

Measure out the potting mixture and add the sand. If adding pine bark, add that in as well.

Stir everything thoroughly to ensure even distribution, avoiding any pockets of sand. Finally, add the perlite, mixing it in well.

Ta-da! And there you go!

Storage

Once you’ve created your homemade blend, you have the flexibility to use it immediately or save it for future use.

You may find it convenient to mix up a generous batch and store the leftovers, ensuring that you always have some on hand whenever you need it.

To store, fill a sturdy five-gallon bucket and seal it tightly with an airtight lid. This helps to preserve the quality of the blended mixture.

Remember to keep the bucket in a dry location to prevent moisture from affecting the consistency of the blend.

By having it readily available, you’ll be prepared to repot your cacti, start new projects, or share some with fellow plant enthusiasts.

Mike Hands’ method of “Inga Alley Cropping” is a quite successful method of allowing tropical soils to continuously crop without wearing out:

The Inga genus contains multiple trees known as “ice cream bean,” which make a delicious pulp inside of their bean-like pods, a few species of which we greatly enjoyed eating while in Grenada.

There was a nice little one growing near our old farm:

Inga fixes nitrogen, grows quickly, produces a lot of biomass and can make decent firewood.

However, we cannot grow it here in Lower Alabama as it is a truly tropical tree.

We do have mimosa, however, AKA Albizia julibrissin.

It is a fast-growing nitrogen fixing tree capable of creating a good amount of biomass and firewood. It’s also very easy to grow from seed.

What if we grew some in alleys and regularly chopped it down as mulch to feed the soil? It’s not going to be as good a mulch as Inga, but it’s the closest non-thorny equivalent we seem to have here.

Beneath the ground the trees release nitrogen – and they’ll also provide it from above as we mulch with their leaves.

We need to figure out our spacing, but I think putting them in rows and growing row crops in between might just work.

You can learn more on Inga Alley Cropping here.

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Perennials are the garden gift that keeps on giving. You plant them once and enjoy them for years to come. While fairly maintenance free, dividing perennials is something you need to do every few years to keep them happy. Plus, you get more free plant copies! Here’s everything you need to know about how to divide a perennial.

Perennials are wonderful garden plants. Plants that are hardy enough to continue growing each year in your garden are considered perennials, as opposed to annuals which you need to replant every year.

Once established, they can be very low maintenance, providing gorgeous blooms and even edible parts through the growing season.

Dividing perennials is often the only job needed to keep them in tip-top shape. Dividing helps perennials from becoming overcrowded, keeps them within the space designated in the garden, and can give you more plants for free!

As perennials develop an established root system in the ground, they spread and form larger and larger clumps. Dividing helps to improve aesthetics and blooming as well as protection from fungal diseases and insects.

If any of your perennials are underperforming, dividing may be the solution!

This post will cover…

The Rule of Thumb for Dividing Perennials

Timing is everything. You want to divide your plants when they’re under the least amount of stress. This means you want to divide the plants after they’ve finished blooming for the year and just before they go into dormancy for the year.

This rule applies to the time of day as well. Never divide the plant when it’s hot outside. Wait for a cool time of time to divide your perennials.

You’ll know they’re ready for dividing when they’ve begun creating a hole in the middle of the plant, are flopping over, or are just spreading too large for the space.

When is the Best Time to Divide Perennials?

The best time to divide perennials is after they have bloomed and gone dormant for the year. With the exception of irises and fall bloomers, most perennials would adore being divided in the fall and thank you for it next year.

FYI, divide irises in summer after blooming and divide fall perennials in the fall after blooming or the following spring.

Dividing perennials in the fall gives the plants more time for the roots to develop strongly into the soil before the next gardening season.

Divide the perennials when the plants look full and lush but before they show signs of overcrowding. The growth and performance of perennials decrease as the plants become crowded. The centers can start to die, or the whole plant can underperform like this Heuchera.

Of course, do what you can and divide the perennials when you have the opportunity, but if you’re noticing that your plant is performing well but is starting to push the boundaries of the space, this is the time to divide the plant.

You can use divisions elsewhere in the garden or give them to friends. Free plants!

How to Divide a Perennial

If you’re dividing in the fall, finding a cool day shouldn’t be too difficult. The best time of day for splitting plants is when the weather is not overly warm, as plants establish more quickly in the soil when they aren’t under stress.

Remove the Plant

Lift the plant from the soil with as little root disruption as possible. Imagine that the roots below equal the size of the plant above to get an understanding of how much spread there is.

Use a shovel to start digging around the soil at the edge of where you think the roots are. Dig the perimeter of the roots by driving the spade around the root ball.

Put the spade into the soil and gently try to lift the plant from the bottom of the roots by pushing the handle down and the spade head up. Do this around the circle until the perennial pops out of the soil easily.

Check the Root System

I find it handy to have a large tarp or blanket in order to put the big perennial roots on so I can then take a good look at what is there. Shake off the soil and have a look at the roots.

How much are they entangled? Are there any plants that look like they’ll easily start to separate?

Use your hands or two garden forks to gently pry the plant divisions’ roots apart. If the roots are strongly tangled into clumps difficult to pry apart, you can use a garden saw (keeping in mind that this might cause damage to the plant).

Prep the Soil

Prepare your garden soil for transplanting by adding compost and manure into the soil. Remove any debris or diseased leaves and give the soil a good turning so it continues to be healthy, light, and well-draining.

Plant Divisions

Plant a vigorous, healthy-looking section of the plant back into the space where you removed the larger clump. Backfill the area with soil and water well.

The remaining sections can be planted in the garden immediately or potted up to be given away. The same rules apply whether the plants are being transplanted to other areas: put them into pots with healthy, rich soil with compost and water well.

If any parts of the plants don’t look healthy, then dispose of them rather than planting them in the ground or in pots. Plenty of healthy plants should be left over, and you want to start them off on the right foot.

Frequently Asked Questions About Splitting Plants

More Perennial Gardening Fun

Are you looking for great outdoor games to play with the kids?  This list of fabulous nature games has 35 great ideas to inspire your outdoor fun.

Inspiration for fun outdoor games

You’ll also find a whole host of our favourite outdoor games and nature fun in *A Year of Nature Walks and Games.

This lively book has a nature activity for every week of the year, and makes the perfect accompaniment to your outdoor adventures.  Find out more about it *here.

6 brilliant reasons to try some outdoor nature games

• They’re perfect for older children and younger children.
• There’s something for every group size, from one child to a whole gang!
• They’re low-cost and don’t need much planning.
• They will help kids to get active in the fresh air – and off the screens and video games 😉
• They’re a super-fun way to encourage children to explore nature and learn about the natural environment around them.
• They could even help to boost mood and combat levels of anxiety and stress – spending time in nature really is that powerful!

The best nature games and outdoor activities

We’ve done the hard work for you and rounded up 35 awesome nature-themed games and outdoor activities to enjoy with the kids.  Kids of all ages can join in – even the adults!

1. Stick trail

Sticks really do make for the best nature games; they’re in plentiful supply all year round and you can use them for all sorts of fun activities.

To make a stick trail, kids collect sticks and use them to make arrows on the ground. The arrows indicate what direction you walk on the trail.  Children can make a trail for the adults to follow, or challenge each other with a route. You can also think about what you might find at the end of the trail – is it treasure?

2. Blob tag

• Two players link elbows to become the ‘blob’.
• The object of the game is for all other players to avoid being tagged by the blob. The blob must keep elbows linked at all times.
• When the blob tags someone, that player joins the blob by linking elbows.
• Every time the blob grows to include four players, it splits into two blobs (two players in each).
• The game ends when all players are part of a blob. The last two players to get tagged become the first blob in the next game.

3. Puddle jumping

Make the most of a rainy day with some competitive puddle jumping.  You could see who can jump in the most puddles, or who can jump over the biggest puddle without getting wet.  Wellies are a good option for this one!

4. Nature scavenger hunt

How about testing their observation skills with a nature scavenger hunt?  You could make your own list of nature treasures to spot, or find one online (we’ve got a brilliant Christmas nature scavenger hunt for the festive season).

Do remind children that they should protect nature by only collecting fallen items, and not picking anything from trees or plants.

5. Noughts and crosses

To play this classic nature game, you just need a stick. Use it to draw a noughts and crosses grid in the dirt, then kids can take turns with the stick to add their nought or cross. The first player to make a horizontal, vertical or diagonal line of three noughts or crosses is the winner.

You can combine this great game with a nature hunt to make it last longer.  The group of children can hunt for twigs and use them to make the crosses, then find small stones, conkers or fallen flower heads to make the noughts.

6. 40-40 outdoor game

This nature game is basically a group version of hide and seek, and works well with a large group.

• Choose a base as the starting point; for example, a tree stump.
• The person who is ‘spotter’ counts to 40 with their eyes shut, while everyone else hides.
• The spotter then looks for the players, while the players try to make it back to base without being spotted. If they make it, they shout ’40-40 in’ and stay at base for the rest of the game.
• If the spotter sees a player who isn’t on base, they must run back to base and shout ’40-40 I see’ plus the player’s name. The player who has been caught returns to base.
• The last person to be caught becomes the spotter in the next game.

7. Journey sticks

This is a great way to prevent little ones getting bored on a walk, and all you need is a piece of string.

Ask each child to find a stick, then collect fallen nature treasures as you walk.  Use the string to tie each item to the stick, building up a picture of your journey.  You can find out more about the origins of this nature game and a step-by-step guide in our journey sticks article.

8. Garden obstacle course

You can keep the fun games close to home with a garden obstacle course challenge.  Kids can use things they find in the garden to create their own unique obstacle course.

Outdoor toys, play equipment, buckets, cardboard boxes, a sprinkler, or even a sweeping brush can all be turned into brilliant obstacles.  An adult should always supervise, making sure the setup is safe.

Once the course is built, children can agree on the rules for completing the course and maybe set themselves some challenges, for example, complete the course in under a minute.  Keep things simple for little kids, but an older group of kids can have a go at making things more tricky.

9. You Can’t See Me

Choose a spotter; all other children pretend to be an animal and hide from the spotter. They can use any natural resources to camouflage themselves, just like an animal would in the wild. The spotter then has to see if they can find the hidden ‘animals’.

10. Nature art

Nature provides the most amazing (and free) resources for an art project.  You could make a mandala, collect things to make a collage at home, hide painted rocks in your local parks, press some flowers, make a feather mobile, or create some fab leaf prints.

11. Predict the weather

Challenge kids to become a weather forecaster by observing nature and natural elements:

• High, white clouds usually mean good weather; low, dark clouds are a sign that rain is on the way.
• A red sky in the morning means bad weather is coming, while a red sky in the evening means you can expect good weather.
• Flowers are said to smell stronger before it rains.
• Bees and butterflies take shelter when bad weather is on the way.

Can anyone see any other signs from nature that reveal something about the weather?

12. Sellers, smugglers, police

• Players divide into three teams: sellers, smugglers, and police, plus a leader.
• The sellers stand at one end of an open area, the smugglers stand at the other end with the leader, and the police stand in the middle.
• The leader gives each smuggler a piece of paper with a low number on it. They have to smuggle their number to a seller without being stopped by the police.
• If the police stop a smuggler, they take their card. The smuggler returns to the leader for a new, lower number.
• If a smuggler managers to give their card to a seller, they are given a receipt and return to the leader for a new, higher number. Police can’t take receipts.
• At the end of the game, smugglers add up the total score of the numbers they have successfully smuggled. The score of any cards taken by police is deducted. The teams then swap jobs.

13. Geocaching

This is a cool treasure hunt that you play on a smartphone via the geocaching app.

The app shows the locations of geocaches in your local area, so you can hunt them down.  Will they contain ‘treasure’. a log book, or some other surprise?

14. Nature colour bingo games

Make a list of different colours, then head outside to see where you can spot each one in nature.

You can play this nature game in teams or individually.  Add up all the items you spot at the end to see who is the winner.

15. Cut the cake

• Players hold hands in a circle to form the ‘cake’.
• Two players hold hands and walk around the outside of the circle. They choose a spot to ‘cut’ the ‘cake’, using their joined arms to gently separate two held hands (like you would slice a cake).
• The two players whose hands have been separated leave the circle to become a second pair. Both pairs run in opposite directions and try to reach the open spot in the circle first. The pair who is left are the cake cutters for the next round.

16. Target practice

Use a stick to draw a circle in the earth; this is your target. Players take it in turns to throw a stone or a pine cone into the circle (they can hunt for these first).

You can make this awesome game more challenging by increasing the distance players stand from the circle, or drawing a smaller circle.

17. Make a mud kitchen

We think this is one of the best nature games, because it’s such a great way to get imaginations firing.

Plastic beach toys and old kitchen utensils are perfect for creating a brilliant mud kitchen.  Kids can make potions, mud pies, or whatever takes their fancy.  They do need to wear old clothes, as things will invariably get messy!

18. Charades tag

• Split players into two teams.
• Each team of people agrees on their charade, and tells the leader what it is. It could be an action, a thing, a film, etc.
• The teams face each other in a line. The first team acts out their charade, and the other team members try to guess what it is.
• When a player guesses correctly, the leader says ‘correct’. The guessing team then chases the other team back to their starting line.
• Any player who is caught joins the opposite team.
• The other team then acts our their charade and the game continues.

19. Daisy chains

Making daisy chains is a great nature game for summer months.  Make a small slit in the stem of a stalk, then thread another stalk through the slit and repeat until your chain is the desired length.  This method works really well with dandelions too; just make sure you leave some for the bees.

20. Jail break

• Two players are cops, one player is jailor, and everyone else is a robber.
• Choose somewhere central to be ‘jail’.
• Robbers have a set amount of time to hide, then the cops start looking for them. The jailor guards the jail.
• When a robber is caught, they go to jail. Another robber can free any players in jail by tagging the jail without being caught themselves.

21. What’s missing?

• Children collect nature items while playing outside, then bring them back to the leader.
• The leader arranges the items on a piece of paper or a blanket, and lets the players study them.
• Players must then look away while the leader removes one or more items. Then they have to work out what is missing.

22. Bubble blowing contest

Sometimes the simple nature games end up being the best games. Take a bottle of bubbles outside, and challenge kids to blow the biggest one. You could even make your own bubble mixture, varying the concentration to see how it affects the results.

23. Follow the leader

The leader does an action, and the other players copy them.  For example, marching, twirling, hopping, singing, frog jumping. All players have a turn at being the leader.

24. Bug hunt

How many minibeasts can you find in the garden, park or local woodland? A magnifying glass will come in handy for this nature game, and you could also find a bug ID chart online.

25. Elbow tag

• Choose a leader and a runner.
• Other players split into pairs, and link arms at the elbow with both hands on their hips.
• The leader has to try and tag the runner. The runner avoids this by linking elbows with a pair.
• When the runner links with a pair, the player on the other side of the pair has to let go and become the runner.
• If the leader manages to tag the runner, they swap roles.

26. Make a stick person or creature

Hunt for sticks in different lengths and thicknesses, then turn them into a stick person or creature.  There are no rules; it doesn’t have to be a real living thing.  Kids can also use other natural objects to make their stick creation; for example, conkers for eyes, seed pods for feet or claws.

27. Forest bathing

This is a lovely quiet activity to calm things down, using nature as your guide. It works particularly well in a wooded area, but you can also enjoy doing it in a park or your garden.

Ask kids to find a quiet place in nature, then sit down. They can then start to breathe more deeply, and use their senses to focus on the nature around them. What can they hear, see, smell, touch?

After a few minutes, kids can think or talk about how they feel.

28. Paint with mud

Mud is nature’s ready-made paint, so put it to good use! You can make your own mud in a small bucket, and use an old paintbrush to create pavement or patio art.  For the adults, the best part of this messy play is that everything washes off when it rains!

29. Switch

• Choose a leader, then five players, giving each player a designated home base. Any other children wait in line for a turn. 
• Each player starts on their base, and the leader stands in the middle.
• When the leader says ‘switch’, all players must move to a new base – including the leader.
• Inevitably, two players will go for the same base. The one who gets their first stays in, while the other player is out.
• The next player waiting in line becomes the leader, and the game starts again. 

30. Leaf jumping

Leaf jumping is perfect for an impromptu outdoor game.  A big pile of leaves is just asking to be jumped in!  Obviously autumn is a great time for this, but you might find a pile of dry leaves at any time of year.

31. Water battle

It’s hard to beat a water fight on a hot day. Kids can play in teams, or individually. You can set a limit on time or where they are allowed to go, or just go with the flow.

32. Nature I Spy

Give I Spy a nature theme when you’re out with the kids. The spy says ‘I spy with my little eye, something beginning with [first letter of the thing]’. Other players take turns at guessing what the thing is. The player who gets it right becomes the next spy.

33. Make a nature garland

This outdoor activity combines a scavenger hunt with some simple crafting.  Children collect fallen nature items, then tie them to a length of string.  Once the string is full, make a hanging loop in each end and you’ve got a nature garland to decorate your home or garden.

34. Hot pine cone

This is hot potato with a nature twist.

Players sit in a circle. The leader plays music and players pass a pine cone around the circle. When the music stops, the player holding the pine cone is out. If a player drops the pine cone they are also out. The last child in is the winner.

35. Intervals

Definitely one of the best outdoor games for physical activity and burning off energy! Get kids busy with a fun sequence of activities, which you can time with a stopwatch if you like.  For example, they can do skipping, speed walking, frog jumps, hopping, or relay races.

More brilliant nature activities for outdoor play

Here are some more fab resources to help you have fun with the kids in the great outdoors:

This roundup of nature walking games is packed with easy ways to make family walks more exciting.

Nature fun abounds in this engaging book which is packed with a whole year’s worth of nature activities. Find out more *here.

Outdoor play bucket lists

Free printable lists of outdoor play ideas for spring, summer, autumn and winter – yes please!

Easy, cheap ideas for kids nature play. Download the free printable here.

We’ve got lots of nature-themed funnies to make your nature games even more enjoyable.

Pin for later: best nature games for kids

Today we’re visiting with Helaine McDermott from western Connecticut.

Pink hydrangea (Hydrangea arborescens, Zones 3–9) blooms behind a big clump of bear’s breeches (Acanthus mollis, Zones 6–9).

A beautiful clump of variegated Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra, Zones 5–9)

Begonia ‘Bonfire’ (Zones 9–11)i is usually grown as an annual, but Helaine has had this plant for eight years now. Each fall, she just puts it in the garage before the first frost and lets it go dormant, giving it no water during the winter. In spring she takes it out and waters it again, and it comes back into growth.

This begonia gets the same treatment—dry in the garage all winter—and also overwinters just great.

And, again, this purple heart (Tradescantia pallida, Zones 7–10) spends the winter in the garage. Many plants grown as annuals or tropicals in northern climates can be overwintered dry and cool in a garage or basement. Not all will survive that way, but if you have one you love that looks good before frost, it is worth giving it a try and seeing if you can get another year of growth out of it.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

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This week, we are revisiting some of our favorite summer-centric Gardenista stories. Remember this one?

Hydrangeas suffer from the same image problem as rhododendrons: they are usually in the wrong place. A pot near the house requires ericaceous soil, an acid mulch, aluminum sulphate. They look constrained, too neat.

Hydrangeas take on a magnificence when they have freedom, grown in a place that they actually like. Along the narrow lanes of Cornwall, at the southwest tip of England, hydrangeas are the most otherworldly of plants. In shades of electric blue or a peculiar purple or greenish white, they emerge from the shade of lichen-covered holm oaks, glowing against slate walls.

Says Alasdair Moore of the Duchy Nursery in Lostwithiel: “In Cornwall, hydrangeas have made themselves at home, often looking particularly wild with their drooping stems laden with flower.”

Here are seven garden design ideas for wild hydrangeas:

Photography by Kendra Wilson.

1. Blanket a slope.

Above: At Trematon Castle at the edge of Cornwall, the croquet lawn by the house falls away into a jungle of greenery. Hydrangeas grow up the slope, unsupported, among roses and herbs. In a light rain, their mopheads carry the weight.

Cornish “mizzle,” the misty moisture which characterizes the coastal weather when it is not radiantly sunny, enhances the effect.

2. Grow a jungle.

Above: At Trematon, home of garden designers Isabel and Julian Bannerman, hydrangeas become jungle plants. Here,  Hydrangea arborescens ‘Annabelle’ is joined by the white umbels of Ammi majus, with spires of Echium pininana on the other side of the path.

3. Encroach on a driveway.

Above: Blue macrophylla hydrangeas growing along parts of the driveway at Botelet Farm, in southeast Cornwall.

Try as one might, it’s impossible not to think of the novels of Daphne du Maurier when traveling in Cornwall, especially after being lost for what seems like hours. It is the wildness of ordinary plants that bring the famous opening line of Rebecca to mind: “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.”

4. Dispel gloom.

Above: Untroubled by bluing agents and soil acidity test kits, hydrangeas glint in the gloom, in the way that rhododendrons can, if they are allowed to.

“Many of the hydrangeas in Cornwall have a genuine and precise sense of place,” says Alasdair Moore. “Their shades of blue are dependent on the soil they find themselves in, acidity allowing them to take up aluminum which gives them the blueness.”

5. Keep them moist.

Above: Hydrangea paniculata ‘Sundae Fraise’ at the Duchy Nursery in Lostwithiel, Cornwall. Paniculata and arborescens types are dependent not on acidity but moisture: they must never dry out.

6. Mix and match.

Above: At Botelet Farm again (which has wonderful cottages to rent as well as a farmhouse bed and breakfast), purple lacecaps grow among the blue mopheads. Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blue Wave’ is a similar variety to this and can be found at the Duchy Nursery. It is either blue or purple depending on the soil.

7. Design for twilight.

Above: Back to hyper-reality. “I drove home from an evening cricket match last night, down an avenue of big, blue macrophylla hydrangeas,” recalls our friend Alasdair. “Illuminated by my headlights against the night, they looked astounding. It felt as though I was in a dream…” We say: Dream on.

For more design ideas to elevate hydrangeas from cliché to chic, see:

N.B.: This post was first published August 2016.

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Let’s dig into the health benefits.

What Are Turnip Greens?

Turnips are a root vegetable that grows well in most temperate climates.

The bulbous root of the turnip is what typically comes to mind when considering this vegetable, but the leafy tops are also edible and nutritious.

And you don’t want to let them go to waste!

The leaves can be saved when you’re thinning your plants early in the season when they’re small, and you can harvest several times a season after that without hurting root development, as long as you don’t pluck all of them.

When your tasty turnips are finally ready for harvest, this is your opportunity to enjoy all of the fully mature leaves that remain, in a soup, salad, or saute.

Nutritional Value

These leafy veggies can be eaten cooked or raw. Cooking them, especially with a little bit of bacon, helps to reduce some of their bitterness.

One cup of cooked turnip greens, without any added salt or oil, comes in at a measly 29 calories.

It provides 5 grams of fiber, 197 milligrams of calcium (18% of the recommended daily value for healthy adults), 1.15 milligrams of iron (14% DV), 292 milligrams of potassium (62% DV), 170 micrograms of folate (53% DV), 549 micrograms of vitamin A (69% DV), and 526 micrograms of vitamin K – 5 times the recommended daily value!

Plus, if you do go the bacon route, cooking the leaves in a little bit of fat actually helps our bodies to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins, A and K.

Raw turnip leaves come in at only 17 calories per cup, since they are more loosely packed and have less volume.

Raw, they offer more vitamin C and B6 than when they are cooked. Remember that certain nutrients are broken down during cooking, while others, like vitamin A, may be enhanced.

Eating a variety of raw and cooked veggies every day is incredibly important for a balanced diet.

Potential Health Benefits

All of these nutrients mean mega health benefits! Potentially, at least. Adding turnip greens to your diet may help to improve your health.

Let’s break these down.

First up is fiber. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: fiber is your friend!

With 5 grams provided per serving, one cup of greens fulfills about 25% of the recommended daily intake of dietary fiber.

This helps to promote regular digestion, and feeds and diversifies the helpful bacteria in your gut. Gut microbiome diversity can help to support your immune system.

Calcium is known for supporting strong bones and teeth, but it’s also present in small amounts in the blood, and plays a role in metabolic functions.

To help bones retain their calcium, sufficient vitamin D is needed as well.

Turnip greens do not provide this vitamin in significant amounts, so you will need to get it from other food sources, or from daily sun exposure (with sunscreen for protection, of course!).

They can help to support your red blood cells by providing a good source of iron. So, what qualifies as a good source?

That would be 10-19% of your DV, and this qualifies! Because they also contain some vitamin C, this will help the iron to be more bioavailable, and better absorbed in your body.

This is important to note because plant-based iron is not as easily absorbed as animal-based heme iron.

Improved eyesight may come along with an intake of these vegetables. Vitamin A plays a critical part in maintaining our retinas, which allow us to see.

Turnip greens can also help to lower cholesterol, due to the phytosterols that they contain. Phytosterols are a type of phytonutrient in plants that have been shown to lower LDL (aka “bad”) cholesterol.

Learning about dahlia care is a great first step for beginners who want to grow these showy, colorful blooms in their gardens.

With a little practice, the right amount of sun, water, soil, and attention, anybody can grow dahlias.

In this guide I will walk you through everything you need to know to successfully care for dahlias throughout the entire year.

Dahlia Quick Care Overview

Scientific name:	Dahlia
Classification:	Tropical plant
Common names:	Dahlia
Hardiness:	Zones 8-11
Temperature:	60-85°F (15.5-29.4°C)
Flowers:	Red, pink, yellow, white, black, purple, orange, blooms mid-summer through fall.
Light:	Full sun
Water:	Keep evenly moist, do not overwater
Humidity:	Average
Fertilizer:	Low nitrogen fertilizer, summer-early fall
Soil:	Fertile, rich, well-draining
Common pests:	Snails, slugs, earwigs, aphids, beetles

Information About Dahlias

Dahlias are a tender herbaceous perennial of the Asteraceae, or Daisy, family, and originally from Mexico and Central America.

They’re best known for the beautiful single-stem flowers that bloom from summer through fall.

The rest of the plant has bushy, leafy green foliage that grows from underground tubers. The heights and sizes range just as much as the blossoms.

Flowers can be anywhere from 2” all the way up to the huge dinner plate hybrids that can get up to 15” across, while plants range from low-lying ground cover to 5’ tall or more.

Different Types Of Dahlias

There are thousands of varieties to choose from, each featuring different heights, flower sizes, and colors.

No matter which you choose, the same general dahlia care is needed for them all. Here are some of the most popular ones.

• Cafe Au Lait – This decorative type has 6-8” sized blooms in a pale pink-peach color with tubular petals.

• Platinum Blonde – Pale yellow 4” anemone-style flowers feature wide petals on the outside and pom-pom like clusters of dense petals in the center.

• Labyrinth – The 7” flowers feature blended hues of peach, apricot, and pink on a decorative style flower that forms a star-like shape with pointed petals.

• Happy Butterfly – The upward facing petals on the waterlily-style 4” flowers start yellow on the outside with pink streaks and a deep fuschia center.

Flowers

The showy, gorgeous blooms are the main reason gardeners love to grow dahlias. They typically bloom early to mid-summer and last until the first frost in fall.

They’re unscented but, depending on the shape, can be attractive to pollinators. Colors range from pale pastels, like yellow, pink, and peach, to vibrant reds, purples, and even near-black.

The flowers are categorized by the arrangement and shape of the petals. Pompon, Ball, Waterlily, Cactus, Decorative, Single, and Anemone are some of the most popular types.

Toxicity

According to the ASPCA website, dahlias are mildly toxic to cats, dogs, and horses if ingested.

If you’re concerned about that, then it’s best to keep this plant away from your pets, if possible.

How To Grow Dahlias

Before we talk about dahlia plant care, first we need to discuss when and where to grow them. The perfect timing and location are key to encouraging blooms.

Hardiness

Dahlias are not cold hardy, and grow best in warm weather. They’re perennials, but only in zones 8-11 where the ground doesn’t freeze.

Everywhere else they’re annuals or you’ll need to bring them indoors for winter. Anything below 32°F (0°C) will damage, and eventually kill the entire plant.

Where To Grow Dahlias

The best place to grow dahlias is somewhere with direct sun and fertile soil. The spot should also be protected from the wind, which can knock down or break tall, heavy flower stems.

The low-growing varieties make nice ground covers or border plants, while the medium-sized ones are great for containers.

A 12×12 pot that’s deep and has good drainage works well for them, and you can move it inside more readily if you need to.

Tall varieties need space in the garden and may require staking to remain upright during blooming.

Dahlia Care & Growing Instructions

Now that you have the perfect place in mind, let’s talk about how to care for dahlias. The tips here will help you grow them to their full potential.

Light

Full sun for 6-8 hours a day is ideal for dahlias. If they get too much shade, it can stunt their growth, and they won’t bloom as profusely.

They prefer morning and evening sun over the harsher afternoon exposure, which can dry or sunburn the petals, especially in arid climates.

If that starts happening with yours, you can use a shade cloth to protect them from the intense afternoon rays.

Water

Proper watering is a crucial part of successful dahlia care. They like to stay evenly and consistently moist once they’re established, but too much will cause the roots and tubers to rot.

Wait to start until your dahlia has put on its first few leaves, then water deeply without making the soil soggy. Let it dry out slightly before giving it more.

If you struggle with the proper balance, a moisture gauge is an inexpensive tool that can help you get it just right.

Humidity

Dahlias like average humidity levels. Too much can cause mold and rot, while too little can wilt and dry them out.

If you live in a very humid climate, make sure to plant them in a spot where they will get good airflow, and don’t overcrowd them.

Temperature

Since dahlias hate the cold, the ideal temperature range to grow them is between 60-85°F (15.5-29.4°C).

Cooler temperatures will stop growth, while anything under 32­°F (0°C) will kill the leaves and eventually the whole plant.

Excess heat of 90°F (32.2°C) or more can also stop blooming or damage existing flowers with sunburn and dehydration.

Fertilizer

As long as the soil is rich with nutrients, you won’t need to worry too much about fertilizing as a regular part of your dahlia care routine.

But the occasional feeding can help boost growth and increase the amount of blossoms.

After flowering has started, begin feeding with an all-natural organic option, like fish emulsion, compost tea, or a flowering fertilizer liquid.

Or, if you prefer, you could top-dress with flowering fertilizer granules. Apply liquids once every month, and granules every 6-8 weeks.

Soil

Dahlias aren’t too picky about their soil, but they thrive best in a fertile, rich, well-draining mixture.

If your garden has heavy clay or is very sandy, amend it with well-rotted manure or compost before planting.

In containers, use a high quality potting mix, and consider adding perlite or pumice to improve drainage.

Transplanting & Repotting

The best time to transplant or repot your dahlia is at the beginning of the growing season while the tubers are dormant.

Transplant them in early spring when it’s consistently above 60°F (15.5°C) outside. I like to soak the tubers in a compost tea solution overnight to help break their dormancy faster.

Pruning

Pruning throughout the growing season is an important part of dahlia care. It encourages more blooms and bushier foliage.

Once the main, central stem has reached 1’ in height, snip it back using clean sterile pair of pruners. Cut off 2-4”, or trim it back to the highest set of leaves to encourage branching.

You should also deadhead the spent or dying flowers regularly throughout the summer as they fade to stimulate more blooms.

Pest Control Tips

Common garden pests like slugs, snails, earwigs, aphids, and beetles can become issues on your dahlias.

For small insects, apply a neem oil spray or try using insecticidal soap to manage the spread. You can make your own by mixing 1 teaspoon of gentle liquid soap with 1 liter of water.

Use organic pellets or bait to keep slugs and snails at bay, and regularly clean up pest-harboring plant debris. You can hand-pick larger bugs and drop them into a bucket of soapy water.

Dormancy

Dahlias can bloom year round in warm enough climates. But once it freezes outside, the foliage will die back, and the tuber will go dormant.

In zones 8-11, you can simply cut them down to the ground and add some dry mulch on top for warmth. In other areas, wherever the ground freezes, you must dig them up or they won’t survive.

Check out my guide on how to overwinter dahlias indoors for detailed help, but the basics are simple.

Dig up the tuber carefully to avoid nicking or damaging it, and leave it somewhere sunny to cure (dry).

Then bring it inside, pack it in peat moss or coco coir, and store it in a cool, dry location that’s between 50-60°F (10-15.5°C) until spring.

Dahlia Propagation Tips

You can propagate your dahlias from seed, stem cuttings, or by dividing them. Seeds usually produce a different flower than the parent, so most gardeners use cuttings or divisions.

It’s best to split them before planting in the spring. Separate the tubers by hand or with a clean, sharp knife, and ensure that each piece has a pink eye, which is where the stems will sprout.

Place them somewhere sunny in slightly damp, fertile soil, and keep them very lightly moist until they’re rooted and start putting on new growth.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Though dahlias are pretty easy to care for, there is no such thing as a plant with zero problems.

If you run into one of these more common ones, my tips below can help you troubleshoot the issue and get it back on track.

White Spots On Leaves

White spots on the leaves is usually a sign of powdery mildew. It’s caused by excess humidity or from moisture sitting on the leaves after watering. The best way to treat it is with an organic fungicide.

Prevention is also key, make sure there is good airflow between plants, and avoid watering overhead where the moisture can collect on the leaves and flowers.

No Flowers

There are a couple of reasons why your dahlias aren’t flowering, but a few simple care adjustments will get them blooming again.

Lack of sun, overwatering, too much fertilizer, or temperature fluctuations are all potential causes.

Plant or place them somewhere with at least 6 hours of direct sun. Keep the soil moist, but avoid making it puddled or overly wet.

Fertilizer can be helpful, but high doses or too much nitrogen will deter blooming. If the soil is nutrient-rich, then there’s no need to feed them.

Yellow Leaves

Some of the most common reasons for yellowing leaves on dahlia plants is lack of nutrients, too much shade, improper watering, pests, or rot.

Over or under watering can each cause problems. Too much can lead to rot and dying foliage, while long periods of drought will dehydrate them.

Also, check for pests and treat any you see right away. If that’s not the issue, consider a dose of low-nitrogen fertilizer, and make sure they’re in full sun.

Leaves Turning Brown

Browning foliage can also be caused by too much or too little water, lack of light, poor nutrition, insect damage, sunburn, or rot.

Use a moisture gauge to help measure water, keep them somewhere sunny in good soil, and check for pests.

Hot afternoon sunlight or frost can also brown or blacken the foliage, so keep an eye on the location and temperature if everything else looks fine.

FAQs

Here I’ve answered some of the most commonly asked questions about dahlia plant care. If yours isn’t listed, please add it to the comments section below.

Are dahlias easy to grow?

Dahlias are easy to grow once you master the basics of their care needs. They need plenty of sun, rich soil, consistent water, and regular pruning to keeping them thriving and blooming their best.

Where do dahlia flowers grow best?

Dahlia flowers grow best in a full sun location with regular, even moisture, and rich, fast-draining soil in an area that’s sheltered from wind.

Is a dahlia plant an annual or perennial?

A dahlia plant is a perennial in zones 8-11 where it can survive outdoors year round, but it’s commonly grown as an annual in colder climates.

What is the secret to growing dahlias?

The secret to growing dahlias is to master their ideal environment, and know when to plant them. Wait until the ground is 60°F (15.5°C) or above, then plant them in full sun and well-draining fertile soil.

Why are dahlias so hard to grow?

Dahlias can be considered hard to grow by beginners who don’t know how to care for them properly. With plenty of sun, rich soil, consistent watering, and regular pruning anyone can easily grow them.

If you want to learn all there is to know about maintaining healthy indoor plants, then you need my Houseplant Care eBook. It will show you everything you need to know about how to keep every plant in your home thriving. Download your copy now!

More About Flower Gardening

Share your dahlia care tips in the comments section below.

In the South, the mimosa tree (Albizia julibrissins) is a common nitrogen-fixing species which is:

A: Constantly denigrated as being invasive

and

B: Never going away since it’s been here for hundreds of years and has integrated itself into the environment

So, why not use it for something?

I am currently reading Restoring the Soil by Roland Bunch. In it, he mentions a demonstration they have done for farmers in which a handful of Gliridicia sepium leaves are buried at the base of each cornstalk in a row of crops. The rest of the crops are left alone. After a short period of time, the corn with the leaves buried beneath it very obviously outgrows the non-leaf-fed corn around it, demonstrating the fertilizing power of nitrogen-fixing tree leaves.

Gliricidia is a very good nitrogen-fixing tree we used extensively for fencing down in the tropics. Unfortunately, it’s too cold to grow it here, so far as I know – but we have mimosa!

Hence our new experiment.

This morning, I picked a 5-gallon bucket full of mimosa leaves and spread them across half of a garden bed my daughter and I built for our fall vegetables.

First, we just laid the leaves on top of a loosened bed:

Then we just covered them all over with a little soil while the chickens watched and wondered what we were doing.

We used the soil from the paths and raked and shoveled it over the broad-forked bed in order to make it a raised mound, and to cover the leaves. Once they were covered, we planted the bed with a mixture of brassicas.

It will be interesting to see what happens.

I would also like to experiment with mimosa tree by using it as a replacement for Inga spp. in an Inga Alley Cropping system. Can you imagine two rows of mimosa, which could be repeatedly cut to feed and build the soil?

Stop wasting the “invasives!” Make them work for you!

Honestly, I don’t have enough years to live in order to do all the experiments I want to do. Let me know if you’ve tried using mimosa for anything interesting – I would love to hear about it. It’s an easy-to-grow fast source of nitrogen and carbon – and it’s everywhere, so we should get to work finding ways to use it.

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This guide has everything you need to know about fireblight.

What it is, the disease’s symptoms and life cycle, the works. It also covers how to combat a current infection, and even how to keep infections from occurring in the first place.

To borrow from the legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer, let’s get ready to rumble.

Fireblight 101

As Sun Tzu once said, “know thy enemy.” Feel free to consider the following info a part of your pre-battle briefing.

What Is Fireblight?

Fireblight is a very serious bacterial disease of over 130 species of trees and shrubs in the Rosaceae or rose family.

It’s a grim threat for home and commercial growers of susceptible fruit trees, as its introduction to a new place can significantly jeopardize that area’s fruit production and commerce.

The infection of trees such as apples, pears, plums, and other rosaceous plants grown for their fruits usually receive the most press, but even ornamentals from the Rosaceae family such as spireas, mountain ashes, and hawthorns are notoriously susceptible.

The causal pathogen is the bacterium Erwinia amylovora, a North American native that has since become a thorn in the sides of many apple, pear, and plum growers worldwide.

Fun fact about E. amylovora: it was actually the first bacterium to be proven a plant pathogen! But beyond that? There’s not much that’s fun about it.

As an epiphyte, it’s capable of growing and multiplying on plant surfaces before infections even take place, and it doesn’t even have to be on a susceptible plant to duplicate itself.

This multiplication can occur very quickly: in temperatures of 65 to 75°F, a population of E. amylovora can double itself every half hour!

Disease Cycle

Once the weather in springtime becomes sufficiently warm and wet, E. amylovora bacteria that overwintered in mummified fruits and certain large cankers of infected trees – often called “holdover cankers” – become active and begin to multiply.

The pathogen then releases fresh bacteria onto the bark’s surface, sometimes via the nasty-looking “ooze” that fireblight cankers exhibit.

The bacteria can then travel to new plants by hitching a ride on splashed water from irrigation or rainfall, a gardener’s hands or tools, beneficial insect pollinators, and even bugs such as flies that are attracted to the cankerous ooze.

Once they reach a plant, the bacteria will live and multiply on the surfaces of leaves, bark, flowers, and immature fruits.

Upon finding natural openings such as fresh wounds or opened blooms, the bacteria will enter the plant and travel along the vascular systems of branches to infect healthy wood, forming fresh new cankers along the way.

If the tree is young, unhealthy, and/or growing quickly, then the pathogen’s spread is all the swifter.

Eventually, the bacteria can reach the trunk and roots, which is usually the point when the infected plant is done for.

However, disease progression requires the growth period of spring and summer.

As the growing season comes to a close, terminal buds set, and new growth hardens, the pathogen ceases its spread, both within and between plants.

Once fall and winter roll around, mummified fruits and cankers become overwintering sites for the bacteria, where it will lie dormant until next spring.

It’s the circle of life… at least for E. amylovora. For the infected plant, it’s more like the circle of death, as it’ll harbor the pathogen indefinitely.

Symptoms

As you can tell from the grisly photos we’ve peppered throughout this guide thus far, fireblight doesn’t exactly leave its hosts in the best shape.

Let’s start with the foliage. After wilting and losing their lush greenness, they shrivel, turn brown or blacken, and hang downward, with the entire leaf stem drooping in an inverted J-hook shape, kinda like a shepherd’s crook.

Diseased flowers have a water-soaked look to them before developing similar symptoms to those of infected leaves, while infected fruits will darken and shrivel into a “mummy,” i.e. a withered husk.

These mummies can cling to the plant for months on end, which is more than enough time for E. amylovora to overwinter within.

Once bark becomes infected, cankers can form and the wood will begin to die back. It’ll become sunken, dark, and may even begin to crack or peel.

If you were to peel the bark back intentionally, you’d find the inner sapwood to be stained.

It’ll be brown and necrotic towards the infection site, reddish in the newly infected wood, and red-flecked in sections that the pathogen is just beginning to colonize.

But if you had to describe the symptoms in a one-sentence blurb for an easy diagnosis, I’d use this one: “Infected plant tissues will appear scorched, with darkened, shriveled foliage and fruits hanging limply from cankered, necrotic branches.”

The majority of this damage occurs in warm and wet conditions – think temperatures of at least 65°F and humidity of 60 percent or higher. This sort of environment allows the pathogen to reproduce and spread at peak efficiency.

All this damage causes plants a great deal of harm and can quickly lead to their demise.

Young and especially susceptible specimens can be killed in a single season, while more mature and durable trees can usually survive several years of branch dieback before perishing.

Either way, an infected specimen’s fruit production will be severely hindered.

Monitor the Weather

Regularly checking the weather can help gardeners prepare for those warm and wet times when fireblight is especially likely to spread.

Additionally, destructive weather such as lightning, hail, and strong winds can damage plants, creating entry points that E. amylovora can use to gain access.

Keeping aware of upcoming thunderstorms, tornadoes, and the like will help gardeners in scheduling those prompt post-storm pruning sessions.

Avoid Excessive Nitrogen

Don’t forget that the more vigorous a plant’s growth, the faster the fireblight within can spread. And nothing turbo-boosts a plant’s growth rate quite like heavy nitrogen fertilization.

Avoiding this is as simple as not adding disproportionately large doses of nitrogen fertilizer during the growing season. Instead, keep any added N a moderate part of a healthy and balanced fertilizer program.

Prune Properly

The prompt pruning of dead or damaged plant tissues will help to shore up any vulnerabilities that E. amylovora could use to enter the specimen.

Don’t forget to remove water sprouts or suckers from the base of the tree as well, since those are especially vulnerable.

When you prune to shape a tree, try your best to maintain an open canopy.

Without adequate ventilation within a plant’s canopy, there’s nothing to keep moisture from building up and fostering the growth, multiplication, and spread of pathogens.

Don’t prune too much, though. This can stimulate cut tissues to regrow with a vigorous vengeance, which we know helps fireblight to spread quickly.

And finally, no matter what, when, or how much you prune, be sure to sterilize any pruning tools that you use with rubbing alcohol. You wouldn’t want to spread pathogens via contaminated blades!

Avoid Overhead Irrigation

Since splashing water is one way that E. amylovora spreads, make sure to directly water the root zone of plants rather than their leafy shoots.

If you’re giving the plant a shower from overhead, then you’re doing it incorrectly.

Management Methods

Given the severity of fireblight, the slightest infection must be met with aggressive management, lest your plant eventually perish.

There’s no known cure for fireblight, only ways of controlling it. So if you find it in your garden, then you have my condolences. Here’s what you can do:

Prune Out Infection

You should definitely prune away diseased twigs, branches, and cankers, but the “when” must be carefully considered here.

For the most part, it’s best to prune during winter dormancy. Pruning during the growing season – especially in spring, when cankers are oozing – may lead to sucker growth and transferring the pathogen from cut to cut, spreading the disease even more.

An exception to this rule is when a few young specimens in your orchard exhibit relatively small amounts of infection. In those instances, you should prune out infected tissues as soon as they become apparent.

Young trees set terminal buds later than mature ones, allowing for a larger window of disease progression.

Plus, eliminating these few areas of disease in an otherwise healthy orchard is worth the possible risk of spreading it further, in my opinion.

Regardless of the season, don’t prune in wet weather. You’re much better off waiting until it’s relatively dry.

When you’re removing diseased branches, it’s important to make your cuts at least a foot below infected wood, if possible.

Yes, this means cutting well into healthy-looking wood, but it’s a necessary sacrifice for ensuring the health of the rest of the plant.

When you’re done pruning, take what you’ve cut out of the orchard for burning or burial.

While you’re at it, do the same with any mummified fruits and dead twigs that lie on the ground, as they may harbor the pathogen as well.

Use Chemical Controls

I gotta be upfront: chemical controls aren’t super effective in controlling fireblight.

Depending on your budget and how invested you are in your infected trees, using them may not even be worth it to you. But if you’re looking for any possible advantage, then read on.

Chemical controls are essentially preventative at best, and there’s no way of guaranteeing the thorough coverage of an entire plant.

Plus, it would be a bit of overkill to bust them out for a tree’s first year of fireblight – it’s best to save them for when a specimen has had the disease for multiple years.

Streptomycin, and copper-based sprays such as Bordeaux mixture, can be applied at at bloom time once daytime temperatures begin to exceed 60°F.

Applications can continue as frequently as every three days while daily highs of 65°F and humidity of 65 percent are maintained. But these chemicals could damage fruits, so be sure to cease applications well before fruits form.

Additionally, promptly spraying these chemicals on the weather-damaged sections of trees after severe storms can fortify those entry points against pathogens.

Remove Infected Specimens

There’s no official rule for when to remove a tree that’s infected with fireblight. Rather, you should constantly be weighing the pros and cons of salvaging a tree versus removing it outright.

Removing a tree that could have been saved is always a bummer, no doubt about it. But trying to save a lost cause that stays alive long enough to infect your other, disease-free trees… that’s no fun, either.

If the trunk and roots start to exhibit signs of infection, then the tree is usually a goner.

Additionally, a tree that’s had fireblight for several years should also be given the ax. And lastly, if the blight makes an infected tree look like it survived a wildfire, then it should probably go, as well.

Once you remove the sickly specimens, feel free to replace them with more resistant varieties, or even entirely non-rosaceous plants.

E. amylovora doesn’t live free in the soil, there’s no need to wait X amount of years for the pathogens within the soil to die – you can promptly plant a new specimen! Just make sure there isn’t any nearby plant detritus that could harbor the bacteria.

If you’d like some garden inspiration, there are lots of gardening quotes and sayings to give you a boost.

I’ve rounded up my favourite garden quotes and gardening sayings to lift your spirits and inspire you. We all know how gardening can boost wellbeing, but there are also some funny ones to put a smile on your face.

As well as being inspiring, these gardening quotes make great captions for when you’re sharing your own garden pictures on social media (my post on nature hashtags will also help you here). Make sure you share them with your green-fingered friends too!

Read on for lots of gems about gardening, plants, flowers, beautiful gardens, and why we love gardening so much.

If you’d like some garden inspiration, there are lots of gardening quotes and sayings to give you a boost.

I’ve rounded up my favourite garden quotes and gardening sayings to lift your spirits and inspire you. We all know how gardening can boost wellbeing, but there are also some funny ones to put a smile on your face.

As well as being inspiring, these gardening quotes make great captions for when you’re sharing your garden pictures on social media (my post on nature hashtags will also help you here). Make sure you share them with your green-fingered friends too!

Read on for lots of gems about gardening, plants, flowers and why we love gardening so much.

Inspirational garden quotes

“The love of gardening is a seed once sown that never dies.” – Gertrude Jekyll

“I always see gardening as escape, as peace really. If you are angry or troubled, nothing provides the same solace as nurturing the soil.” – Monty Don

“Everything that slows us down and forces patience, everything that sets us back into the slow circles of nature, is a help. Gardening is an instrument of grace.” – May Sarton

“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.” – Alfred Austin

“Gardens are not made by singing ‘Oh, how beautiful,’ and sitting in the shade.” – Rudyard Kipling

“I’ve always felt that having a garden is like having a good and loyal friend.” – C Z Guest

“No occupation is so delightful to me as the culture of the earth, and no culture comparable to that of the garden.” – Thomas Jefferson

“We learn from our gardens to deal with the most urgent question of the time: How much is enough?” – Wendell Berry

“If you’ve never experienced the joy of accomplishing more than you can imagine, plant a garden.” – Robert Brault

“A garden is a grand teacher. It teaches patience and careful watchfulness; it teaches industry and thrift; above all it teaches entire trust.” – Gertrude Jekyll

“Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.” – Allan Armitage

Short garden quotes

“You can cut all the flowers but you cannot keep spring from coming.” – Pablo Neruda

“Garden as though you will live forever.” – William Kent

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” – Audrey Hepburn

“The more help a person has in the garden, the less it belongs to him.” – W H Davies

“Gardening is the only unquestionably useful job.” – George Bernard Shaw

“What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have never been discovered.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt.” – Margaret Atwood

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.” – A A Milne

“There is nothing pleasanter than spading when the ground is soft and damp.” – John Steinbeck

“One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.” – William Shakespeare

“All gardening is landscape painting.” – William Kent

“The biggest obstacle to good gardening is the desire to know the answers and not the questions.” – Monty Don

“In nature, nothing is perfect and everything is perfect.” – Alice Walker

“My garden is my most beautiful masterpiece.” – Claude Monet

“Gardening is learning, learning, learning. That’s the fun of them. You’re always learning.” – Helen Mirren

“When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden.” – Minnie Aumonier

“Show me your garden and I shall tell you what you are. – Alfred Austin

“The soul cannot thrive in the absence of a garden.” – Thomas Moore

“The garden suggests there might be a place where we can meet nature halfway.” – Michael Pollan

“Use plants to bring life.” – Douglas Wilson

“If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.” – Marcus Tullius Cicero

“I like gardening – it’s a place where I find myself when I want to lose myself.” – Alice Sebold

“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better.” – Albert Einstein

Gardening sayings & garden proverbs

Life begins the day you start a garden. – Chinese proverb

A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in. – Greek proverb

He who plants a garden plants happiness. – Chinese proverb

More grows in the garden than the gardener sows. – Spanish proverb

The garden is the poor man’s apothecary. – German proverb

Happiness is to hold flowers in both hands. – Japanese proverb

The gardener who loves roses is slave to a thousand thorns. – Turkish proverb

April showers bring May flowers. – English proverb

Yesterday’s flowers are today’s dreams. – Japanese proverb

To an optimist every weed is a flower; to a pessimist every flower is a weed. – Finnish proverb

All the flowers of tomorrow are in the seeds of today. – Indian proverb

All gardeners know better than other gardeners. – Chinese proverb

Flower garden quotes

“The flower that smells the sweetest is shy and lowly.” – William Wordsworth

“Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.” – Luther Burbank

“There are always flowers for those who want to see them.” – Henri Matisse

“Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts.” – Sigmund Freud

“Where flowers bloom, so does hope.” – Lady Bird Johnson

“I don’t like formal gardens. I like wild nature. It’s just the wilderness instinct in me, I guess.” – Walt Disney

“But for one’s health as you say, it is very necessary to work in the garden and see the flowers growing.” – Vincent van Gogh

“To forget how to dig the earth and tend the soil is to forget ourselves.” – Mahatma Gandhi

“Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.” – Gerard de Nerval

“Flowers are the music of the ground. From earth’s lips spoken without sound.” – Edwin Curran

“Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light.” – Theodore Roethke

“A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” – Zen Shin

“It will never rain roses: when we want to have more roses we must plant more trees.” – George Eliot

“Earth laughs in flowers.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

“I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” – Abraham Lincoln

“By plucking her petals, you do not gather the beauty of the flower.” – Rabindranath Tagore

“A flower blossoms for its own joy.” – Oscar Wilde

This short video has some beautiful flower quotes too:

Funny gardening quotes

“Plant and your spouse plants with you; weed and you weed alone.” – Jean-Jacques Rousseau

“My neighbour asked if he could use my lawnmower and I told him of course he could, so long as he didn’t take it out of my garden.” – Eric Morecambe

“Gardening is cheaper than therapy – and you get tomatoes.” – unknown

“A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows.” – Doug Larson

“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.” – Janet Kilburn Phillips

“Housework is for people who don’t know how to garden” – unknown

“The philosopher who said that work well done never needs doing over never weeded a garden.” – Ray D Everson

“Gardening is easy. Stick it in the ground the right way up and most plants will grow perfectly well.” – Monty Don

“A weed is a plant that is not only in the wrong place but intends to stay.” – Sara Stein

“Old gardeners never die, they just go to seed.” – unknown

“Gardening requires lots of water – most of it in the form of perspiration.” – Lou Erickson

More inspirational quotes about gardening and mother nature

I’ve also got a Pinterest board full of inspiring garden quotes – you can check it out here – and blog posts full of inspiring nature quotes and nature captions, waterfall quotes, quotes about sunflowers, flower quotes, Earth Day quotes, tree quotes, spring quotes, summer quotes, autumn quotes and winter quotes. You might also like these posts on quotes about self-respect and parenting teens quotes, and my Halloween quotes roundup.

I hope these favourite gardening quotes and garden sayings have inspired you and your green thumb. If you’ve got a favourite garden quote that isn’t on my list I’d love to hear it in the comments 🙂

More gardening fun

For some more light-hearted fun with a gardening theme, check out these posts:

Garden jokes & garden puns

Flower jokes & flower puns

Tree jokes & tree puns

Bee jokes & bee puns

Puns about birds and bird jokes

Plant puns and plant jokes

Fruit jokes and puns

Pumpkin jokes & pumpkin puns

Gardening resources

If you’d like some more gardening inspiration, the following features might be of interest:

Garden jobs by month

What to plant gardening calendar

Birth flowers by month

55 easy grow your own tips, ideas and resources for beginners

Gardening fun for children

If you’re keen on getting the kids involved in the garden, you might also like my book *A Year of Nature Craft and Play.  It’s filled with fun gardening projects, crafts, games, art and science activities that inspire kids to get creative with nature and explore the amazing natural world.  There are 52 budget-friendly nature play ideas, one for every week of the year, all with easy-to-follow instructions and colourful photos.  You could check out my blog section on gardening with children too, plus my other book, *A Year of Nature Walks and Games.

If you’ve enjoyed this post and found it useful, here are some ways you can say thanks and support Growing Family:

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Read on to learn how to keep collard greens growing strong after a frost.

Will Frost Kill Collard Greens?

Collards, Brassica oleracea var. acephala, are the most cold hardy of all the Brassica species.

These members of the Brassicaceae family are incredibly frost tolerant and can survive temperatures down to the upper teens.

In fact, frost actually improves their taste as cold temperatures trigger the plant to convert the starches in the foliage to sugars which produces a sweeter flavor and a more tender texture.

However, a hard freeze will kill the plants – but there are steps you can take to protect them.

This incredibly hardy crop can continue to be harvested even after the leaves have frozen, which makes them an ideal choice to plant for a dose of healthy greens in the colder months.

How to Grow Collards for a Winter Harvest

Collards are a biennial that typically overwinter in USDA Hardiness Zones 8-10, though in a mild year they may even survive in colder zones unassisted.

I once grew collard greens in my Zone 6 garden that survived through the winter without protection and resumed growth the next year!

If you live in a warm climate, the best time to plant is in fall for a harvest throughout the winter months. For best results, you’ll need to know your first average frost date.

You can direct seed out in the garden in late summer or early fall, depending on your location. Your goal is to sow seeds in time so that your crop is ready to harvest after one or two light frosts but before the first killer freeze.

Check your seed packet to determine the time to maturity of your chosen cultivar – this is typically between 55 and 75 days.

Learn more about the different varieties of collard greens in this roundup.

In very warm locations, you can start seeds indoors to transplant out into the garden about eight weeks before your average first frost date. This will vary a little, depending on your chosen cultivar.

Choose a location that gets at least four or five hours of sunshine per day.

See our guide for more information about how to grow collard greens.

Since this plant is a biennial, when spring arrives and the weather warms up, plants will bolt and set seed.

You may still be able to harvest at this point but the leaves may become tough and bitter and you may be better off just starting a new crop.

Extend the Season in Cold Climates

In colder regions, Zones 7 and below, there are a number of steps you can take to keep your collards producing for as long as possible into the winter months.

Season extension techniques, such as building cold frames or hoop houses can be useful to protect your greens from snow and super cold temperatures.

There are many options for protecting plants from cold, often using materials you may already have in your yard, such as old window glass or sheets.

I constructed mini cold frames for my collards using old windows and some scrap wood. I made wooden frames about two feet tall and the width and length of the windows, and set the windows on hinges at the top so they could easily swing open and shut.

See our guide for more information about DIY cold frames and greenhouses.

I also surrounded my plants with plenty of shredded leaves to keep them well insulated.

Straw works well as cold season mulching material. Whenever I want to harvest some greens, I simply open the window and grab a few leaves. It’s as easy as that! All I have to remember to do is brush off the snow when it accumulates on top.

You can also use floating row covers on top of your chosen mulching material.

You can learn more about winter mulching for cold tolerant crops in this guide.

Today we’re visiting Francis’s garden in Hartsdale, New York.

My hybrid hardy hibiscus (Zones 5–9) is a cross I made with the variety ‘Kopper King’. In front a phlox (Phlox paniculata, Zones 4–8) blooms as well.

Ligularia ‘Othello’ (Zones 3–8) has showy yellow flowers, as seen here, but is notable for its dramatic dark leaves.

‘Little Joe’ (Eutrochium dubium ‘Little Joe’, Zones 3–9) is a more compact version of Joe Pye weed, and the big heads of tiny flowers are very attractive to butterflies and other pollinators.

The garden in May with new foliage out in peak lushness and beauty

In July, the phlox and hardy hibiscus showed off with colorful flowers.

Butterfly weed (Asclepius tuberosus, Zones 5–9) is covered with bright orange flowers. Behind it, a tall stand of crocosmia (Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’, Zones 5–9) adds intense red flowers to the mix.

Native to Africa, many varieties of crocosmia can be a little tender, but the cultivar ‘Lucifer’ is the most cold hardy and vigorous.

 

Have a garden you’d like to share?

Have photos to share? We’d love to see your garden, a particular collection of plants you love, or a wonderful garden you had the chance to visit!

To submit, send 5-10 photos to [email protected] along with some information about the plants in the pictures and where you took the photos. We’d love to hear where you are located, how long you’ve been gardening, successes you are proud of, failures you learned from, hopes for the future, favorite plants, or funny stories from your garden.

Have a mobile phone? Tag your photos on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter with #FineGardening!

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This week, we are revisiting some of our favorite summer-centric Gardenista stories. Remember this one?

A few summers ago, photographer Alison Engstrom and I took an early morning Amtrak north from New York City to Hudson to visit artist Helen Dealtry and Dan Barry in their clapboard house, tucked behind a hedgerow in the small upstate town of Claverack. The light was too harsh at midday to photograph the gardens, but after we finished shooting the eclectic interiors (see An Artist’s Circa-1830 Home in Claverack, New York), we noticed early-evening dappled light—and stepped outside to capture a few shots of the quiet gardens, just in time. Here’s a look.

Photography by Alison Engstrom.

The couple was living in Brooklyn when they discovered the house online in the fall of 2016. The gardens, by landscape designer Peter Bevacqua, were mostly in place. Bevacqua has become a friend: He lives down the street amid sprawling, intricate gardens. On the day we visited, Dealtry pointed out two long, oval pieces of honeycomb in their dining room, a gift from Bevacqua and his bees.

Hedge maintenance is a running joke in the neighborhood: It’s rumored some spend tens of thousands of dollars on their upkeep. (For their part, Dealtry and Barry say, they hire a crew to trim their double front hedge of hornbeam and boxwood, plus some trees, a few times per year.)

You have a few options for how you can store fresh apples and you might even choose to turn part of your harvest into preserves. In this article, I’ll cover these various options.

Here’s an overview of what’s to come:

Fresh Storage

When you consider whether you want to stockpile a fresh supply of apples or turn them into preserves, you’ll need to be realistic about their holding capability.

Here’s what I mean:

Best Cultivars

Some cultivars hold up much better in storage than others.

In general, thick skinned and tart varieties keep better and for longer than thin skinned and sweet types. If you have a few different varieties, knowing this can help you to decide which ones to put into longer term storage and which to enjoy in the coming weeks.

In addition, typically those cultivars with a later harvest date also do better in storage.

No Bad Apples

Fresh storage is a good idea for unblemished apples, and most definitely not a good idea for bad ones.

You know that saying – one bad apple spoils the bunch. Just as this expression is so often true when used figuratively, it’s also true in a literal sense.

The reason for this is that these fruits emit a ripening gas called ethylene.

And the riper the apple, the more ethylene it emits.

Blemished, bruised, or otherwise compromised apples emit more ethylene than unblemished ones. If stored together, the gas emitted from a bad one will speed up the ripening process of its neighbors. In addition, damaged fruits that go moldy may infect the rest of your crop.

To reduce the number of so-called bad apples in the bunch, proper harvesting techniques will help and it’s particularly important to handle the fruit gently after picking.

To select apples for fresh keeping, sort through your harvest and remove any that are blemished, bruised, or have stems missing.

Those without stems attached can also ripen more quickly and may provide an entry point for pathogens that can cause the fruit to decay.

Having said that, while you don’t want to store blemished fruit over the long term, it doesn’t mean you need to throw them all out.

Imperfect fruit can be preserved through the transformative processes of dehydrating, canning, or freezing. I’ll give you a few tips and ideas for preserving later in the article.

Since mature apples hold up better than ripe ones, keep the ripe ones for short term storage or preserve them.

You can read more about how to distinguish mature apples from ripe ones as well as how and when to harvest your apple crop in our dedicated article.

Ideal Storage Conditions

Now that you have culled your crop of any bad apples and are ready to store the good ones, let’s get down to the nitty gritty.

This fruit will be of the highest quality and last the longest when it is kept at a temperature of 32 or 33°F.

According to Emily E. Hoover, Extension Horticulturalist at the University of Minnesota Extension, apples maintained at this low temperature will last up to ten times longer than those kept at room temperature.

That doesn’t mean you can’t keep your crop at a cool temperature that is higher than 32°F. They just won’t last quite as long.

Along with this rather frosty temperature, these fruits should ideally be stored at a humidity level of 85-95 percent. Those kept at lower humidity have the tendency to dry out and shrivel over time.

When provided with these ideal conditions, some apples can be successfully stored for up to six months.

But do be aware that just because 32°F is good, that doesn’t mean that lower is even better.

These fruits will freeze when exposed to temperatures of 29°F for more than just a brief period of time, so when you choose your storage location, make sure the temperature will remain consistently above 29°F.

Storage Locations

There are probably very few of us who have a storage location with a temperature of precisely 32°F with 90 percent humidity. But remember, those are simply the ideal conditions for long-term storage.

Even in less-than-ideal conditions, your harvest will still keep longer in a cool, dry, dark place than it would in a fruit bowl on the kitchen counter.

Here are a few options:

Refrigeration

For smaller harvests, especially those that are thin skinned or were picked when fully ripe, your location of choice may be the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.

Do you know how cold your fridge is? Don’t feel bad, I didn’t know the precise temperature inside my refrigerator either.

Food safety experts recommend maintaining fridge temperatures between 33 to 39°F. This range will do just fine for keeping your apples fresh – if you can spare the space.

Before placing them in your crisper drawer, put your apples in perforated plastic bags. The bags help maintain humidity while the perforations prevent too much moisture from building up around the fruits.

Alternatively, you could keep them in a loosely covered container.

For larger hauls of fruit, you may want to consider keeping them in an extra fridge. If there are no other frost-sensitive fruits or vegetables in it, you can adjust the temperature to the coolest setting.

When you store your harvest in a refrigerator, remember that this fruit emits a ripening gas, ethylene, and you’ll need to keep other fruits and vegetables separate to prevent them from going bad faster than usual.

Apples will last 30 to 90 days in refrigeration, depending on the variety.

Cool Storage

If you have a large harvest that won’t fit in your fridge or you don’t want it taking up any valuable refrigerator real estate, there are other locations where you can store your apples.

Depending on your climate, your options might include an unheated basement, a garage, or a root cellar.

If you have a room on the north side of your home or a covered patio that remains cool during the winter, either of these might also be an option.

Wherever you choose to store your crop, remember that you want to be sure that the temperature will remain above 29°F at all times.

When you have selected a storage location, you’ll need some shallow boxes, or a wooden or metal rack that allows air to circulate.

One method commonly used to store this crop is to wrap each fruit in newspaper or kraft paper. I like to reuse the plain brown shipping paper that comes as padding with my online purchases for this purpose.

Alternatively, you can place them in a box, each one surrounded with straw to prevent them from touching.

Processing Methods

Now that you have safely put your good keeping apples away, it’s time to deal with the ones that didn’t pass the test for fresh storage.

Any fruits that have blemishes, missing stems, were subject to freezing while on the tree, or are otherwise not suitable for long keeping can be preserved in a variety of different ways.

To prevent the pieces from sticking together, spread out the slices or chunks on a baking sheet, place the baking sheet in the freezer and when the pieces are frozen (usually within a couple of hours), transfer them to a plastic freezer bag or other airtight container.

Label your containers with the freezing date, and use your stash within eight months for the best quality.

Are you interested in learning about the benefits of freezing vs. canning as preservation methods for your fruits and veggies? Check out this article on our sister site, Foodal.

Dehydrating

If you want an easy method of preserving apples for later use but are running out of freezer space, dehydration is a great way to turn these fruits into healthy, sweet snacks.

Dried apples are one of my favorite snacks when my sweet tooth is acting up!

This fruit can be dried in the oven on a low temperature, or in a dehydrator.

To do this, core and slice them thinly – about 1/8- to 1/4-inch – and soak the slices for three to five minutes in a mixture of eight parts water to one part lemon juice to prevent browning.

Drain and pat dry before placing the slices on a wire rack over a baking tray to allow for air circulation.

Place in a 100°F oven for two to four hours and check frequently, turning if required. Allow them to cool on wire racks before transferring to an airtight container.

Store in a cool, dry place and they should keep for up to a week.

To learn more details of this process, check out our guide to dehydrating garden produce.

Canning

When it comes to canning, these autumnal fruits can be transformed into many different incarnations: preserves, jam, jelly, applesauce, apple butter, pie filling, or even juice.

It’s possible to can apples with either a pressure cooker or a water bath canner. Just be sure to follow safe canning practices – you can learn more about canning foods at home on our sister site, Foodal.

And if applesauce is one of the ways you’d like to preserve your harvest, you’ll find directions for canning homemade applesauce, also on Foodal.

Think spinach meets celery under neon lights, and you have a pretty good description of this colorful and nutritious vegetable. Read on for all you need to know to grow it in your garden!

Cultivation and History

Swiss chard is a biennial that grows as an annual in all temperate zones. It’s hardy to approximately 15°F, but while it does best in cool temperatures, it can tolerate heat with adequate watering.

Successful cultivation requires a location that gets full sun to part shade, with soil that is organically rich and well-draining. To determine your soil’s characteristics, conduct a soil test.

The ideal pH range is between 6.0 and 8.0, slightly more acidic than for beets.

Also, they note that chard is not “day-length sensitive,” a botanical phenomenon called “photoperiodism.” This is why it’s less prone to bolting, or prematurely setting seed, than other leafy greens like spinach and lettuce.

And while annual chard in colder climates sets no seed, plants in warmer regions set seed in the second year. When they do, the leaves are no longer tasty.

In addition to growing it for consumption, B. vulgaris is often cultivated as an ornamental. With its glossy leaves and vivid, multi-colored stems, it makes an eye-catching focal point in beds, borders, and containers, especially in the autumn garden, as the last blossoms of summer fade.

And whether you grow it to eat or just to look at, this cut-and-come-again vegetable should have its leaves snipped frequently to encourage further leaf formation throughout the growing season.

Leafy B. vulgaris is also known as leafy beet, mangold, perpetual spinach, seakale beet, and silver beet.

“Chard” is from the French “carde,” from the Vulgar Latin “carda,” and the Latin “carduus.” It means “cardoon,” which is the artichoke thistle, Cynara cardunculus.

Chard is a “cultivated descendant” of the sea beet, B. vulgaris subsp. maritima, and the first varieties have been traced to Sicily. The word “Swiss” was added by the 19th century to help seed catalog shoppers differentiate chard from French spinach.

Propagation

B. vulgaris grows from irregularly-shaped seed clusters that contain several seeds in each.

You may find it listed for sale as “decorticated” or “pelletized,” meaning the rough edges have been made smooth, so it passes more easily through seeding tools.

How to Grow

When selecting varieties to plant, consult seed packets for information on mature dimensions, to plan your beds or containers appropriately.

In my region of the Northeast, folks sow chard just before the last frost, and sometimes several more times until mid-summer. If you’re fortunate to live where the ground doesn’t freeze hard, you may also plant again in the fall. B. vulgaris germinates in 50°F soil, and may struggle with temperatures that exceed 80°F.

Since its seeds come several to a pod, so you’ll have little clusters of seedlings that need to be thinned out before transplanting. Keep the sturdiest and rinse and enjoy the rest as nutritious microgreens.

Start seeds indoors three to four weeks before the last frost date, or direct sowing two weeks before this date. Seedlings may be placed outside just after the last frost date has passed.

For those in warmer regions, she says to direct sow seeds about 10 weeks before the first frost date. Place seedlings outside at four weeks old.

Sow seed in organically-rich soil supplemented by compost and/or fertilizer as needed. A soil test is your best indicator of what’s required. Leafy vegetables benefit from nitrogen supplementation, so consider a well-balanced, slow-release fertilizer if you decide to forgo the test.

At the recommended time, harden-off your seedlings. Acclimate them to the outdoors for a couple of hours each day for several days prior to transplanting them into the garden or containers.

If you choose to pot them, provide containers with good drainage holes and a depth of at least 12 inches. Choose a smaller-stature variety, and trim leaves as soon as they reach six inches, to encourage more leaf than root growth.

For garden plants, you may cut leaves at heights from six inches to two feet, depending upon plant size. The smaller the leaf and stalk, the more tender the texture. In addition, leaving mature leaves unharvested may result in more root growth and fewer new leaves.

Prepare your garden soil to a depth of about 12 inches, working in any recommended amendments, and fertilizing if you so choose.

Place one seedling every 12 inches, leaving about 18 inches between rows. Water and maintain even moisture, never allowing the soil to completely dry out during the plants’ acclimation to their new location.

Some folks like to grow “baby greens,” meaning they like to harvest them at a height of at least six inches tall. If this is your plan, consider planting much closer together, about six inches, to get more leaves little leaves per square foot.

Once established, plants need an inch or so of water throughout the growing season. Supplement in the absence of rain, or plants will slow leaf production until moisture is restored.

Companion Plants

Good “companions” are those with similar sun, soil, and water needs that don’t attract pests and diseases that would have an adverse effect on your vegetable. Good choices for sharing space with B. vulgaris are members of the brassicas and cole crops, like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, radishes, and cabbage.

Other excellent companions include chamomile, coreopsis, lettuce, mint, nasturtium, and sweet alyssum.

Companion plants like sweet alyssum and chamomile attract pollinators, some of whom feed on the pests that may be attracted to Swiss chard. In addition, having refreshing birdbaths and welcoming birdhouses attract feathered friends that also feed on insect pests.

Avoid planting corn; cucurbits like cucumber, melon, and pumpkin; and potatoes nearby for the reasons stated above.

Read more about companion plants for chard here.

Managing Pests and Disease

Chard is not prone to insects or disease. The best way to avoid both is to follow the recommended planting suggestions. With nutrient-rich soil, good drainage, adequate aeration between vegetables, and a minimum of weeds, you’re well on your way to success.

It’s also wise to rotate crops and not co-plant with spinach or beets, to inhibit insects specific to this botanical group, such as the beet leafhopper, that winter over in the soil and live their lives on these plants, as well as chard.

Even with the best intentions, during the growing season, you may have to deal with hungry critters, bugs, and infection, so here’s what to watch for and how to handle each.

Herbivores

Animals such as deer, ground hogs, and rabbits may come a-nibbling, so consider planting in raised beds, and beneath floating row covers, to keep them at bay. In addition, chicken-wire or deer fencing may help.

(This is one reason for crop rotation, another is soil depletion. Consult our article on cover cropping for more information on this subject.)

Floating row covers are your best bet for avoidance. In addition, a soil-level application of food grade diatomaceous earth is an excellent deterrent. And if you see bugs and eggs on your plants, hand pick them, or dislodge them with a steady stream of water from your garden hose.

Weeds like lamb’s quarters and pigweed are in the same botanical family as B. vulgaris. They attract leafminers and their seedlings closely resemble those of chard, so weed well and with caution!

Find more tips on identifying and controlling pests that affect chard plants here.

Harvesting

This vegetable is a cut-and-come-again species that provides multiple harvests during the growing season. You may be able to cut your first tender leaves as early as late spring. Harvesting stalks when they are young and tender, at about six inches tall, is an excellent way to get the maximum number of harvests per year.

The best time to pick vegetables is during the cool morning or evening hours.

When harvesting both young and older leaves, always take the outer leaves first, leaving the younger, inner ones to continue to grow. Make clean cuts across each stem about an inch above the base of the plant.

As fall draws to a close, and light frosts begin, you may dig up your plants, roots and all. If you keep some soil attached, you may store them in a cool, moist location for continued growth and harvests into the winter.

Alternatively, cut individual stems, or shear off the entire plant at the soil level, for one final harvest of the season.

Another way to optimize your crop output is to use floating row covers to retain warmth right into winter.

Get more information on harvesting Swiss chard here.

Seed Saving

If you’re growing as an annual, your plants won’t go to seed.  However, if your plants winter over and return the following spring, you may have the pleasure of seeing tiny green flowers set seed at the end of the second growing season.

Once you see this, the leaves will start to taste bitter, and it’s time to watch for seed pod formation.

When most of the pods look brown, remove entire stalks of them and lay them in open paper bags in a dry location.

Give them a week or two, and then rub your fingers down each stalk to release the thoroughly dry seed clusters. Separate them from the chaff and store them in jars, or zippered plastic bags, in a cool, dry location. Seeds should remain viable for five years.

Preserving

Rinse all leaves and stems before storage to rid them of debris and insects, and pat dry.

Harvested leaves stay fresh for about three days in the fridge. If you put it them in a zippered plastic bag with a damp paper towel, maybe a week.

To make the most of a large crop, you may blanch, cool, and freeze leaves for up to a year.

You can freeze leaves raw or dry them to use as you would parsley flakes. You can even pickle the stalks.

Chard is an excellent source of copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, and potassium, and vitamins A, C, and K. The most colorful varieties offer anti-inflammatory betalains.

And please note: chard contains oxalic acid, so consume it in moderation if you have been advised to monitor your oxalate intake for optimal kidney health.

You may enjoy the leaves and stems cooked or uncooked, together or separately. Like many greens, chard has a slightly bitter flavor that grows mild and savory during cooking.

When preparing it, consider cutting up the leaves and stalks separately. This way, you may remove cooked leaves and allow the somewhat tougher stems to continue on until tender. Cooking is the best way to use older leaves.

Young leaves are excellent when lightly wilted in sautés. And more mature leaves make a refreshing and colorful alternative to lettuce and celery, when cut up separately in salads.

Quick Reference Growing Chart

Plant Type:	Annual or biennial vegetable	Water Needs:	1 inch per week
Native to:	Sicily, naturalized in Europe and the Americas	Maintenance:	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	Annual 2-11, biennial 6-11	Soil Type:	Rich, organic
Season:	Spring to hard frost	Soil pH:	6.0-8.0
Exposure:	Full sun to part shade	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Time to Maturity:	50-60 days	Companion Planting:	Brassicas, celery, chamomile, coreopsis, lettuce, mint, nasturtium, radishes, sweet alyssum
Spacing:	12 inches	Avoid Planting With:	Other subspecies of B. vulgaris (beetroot, sugar beet), corn, cucurbits, most herbs, potatoes
Planting Depth:	1/2 inch	Family:	Amaranthaceae
Height:	8-24 inches	Subfamily:	Chenopodiaceae
Spread:	9-18 inches	Genus:	Beta
Tolerance:	Cold, heat with adequate watering, light frost	Species:	vulgaris
Pests & Diseases:	Aphids, beet leafhoppers, blister beetles, flea beetles, leafminers, slugs, tarnished plant bug; curly leaf fungus, root rot	Subspecies and Cultivars:	subsp. vulgaris, (Cicla and Flavescens groups)

And for More Ideas…

If you use the leaves for a recipe and have stems leftover, consider them a vegetable in their own right, and prepare them separately.

They make an excellent substitution for asparagus, removing its earthy high note and replacing it with sweetness.

In addition to the leaves and stalks, the “crown” where the stalks originate is also edible and may be chopped up and added to soups and stews. To enjoy it at season’s end, simply dig up the entire plant, slice off the roots, rinse and prepare.

Here’s what’s to come in this article:

When to Sow Based on Hardiness Zone

Your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone is an important factor to consider when you are deciding what month to sow kale. You can read more about these hardiness zones here.

Those who live in a hardiness zone with a high number can start growing earlier in the spring and later in the fall than those who live in a hardiness zone with a low number. As the hardiness zone number increases, the growing season gets longer.

Other useful information for determining the planting date is your predicted last frost date in the spring, and first frost date in the fall.

When to Sow in the Spring and Fall

Kale is a cool weather crop, so it grows best in the spring and fall and in locations where it can receive plenty of sunlight.

In the spring, you can plant seeds outside immediately after the last frost. At this point, the soil will have warmed enough for germination to occur. You can continue to sow seeds until the end of May.

If you are starting seedlings indoors, sow four to six weeks before the predicted last frost date.

For example, where I live in Zone 7a, the predicted last frost date is April 18. Therefore, I start seeds indoors in trays the first week of March. I love watching this new life grow when it is still cold and gray outside.

How to Time Succession Plantings

If you’re growing baby kale, planting seeds once and then again a few weeks later will allow for a continuous supply. This tactic of sowing multiple plantings is known as succession planting. You can read more about succession planting here.

Aim to plant seeds directly in your garden every two to three weeks.

When there is less daylight, plants will grow more slowly, so successive plantings should be sown closer together, over shorter periods of time. In March and November, space successions two weeks apart. In May, June, September, and October, space them three weeks apart.

Here’s what we’ll cover:

We’ll start with a summary of the requirements for cultivation. You can learn more in our full guide to growing broccoli.

Growing Essentials

In order to even hope for a praiseworthy crop of tight, green heads, you must cater to the requirements of this prima donna of the cruciferous vegetable world.

Plants enjoy a full-sun location, with neutral, organically-rich soil, which is well-draining and stays evenly moist. They don’t like being too close together, which can cause pest and disease problems – and you need to remember that they are cool-weather crops.

If this happens, it can grow small, button-like heads – and these will never mature into one large, tight head, resulting in the production of one or more of small “buttons.” instead.

Let’s find out what can go wrong to cause heads to button.

2. Lack of Moisture

Broccoli needs consistent moisture from the time it’s sown until harvest, to transition smoothly from the vegetative stage, when foliage grows, to the reproductive stage, when head formation takes place.

An irregular supply of water may stress plants, causing them to form small, individual florets with a bitter taste.

In the worst case scenario, buttoned plants may bolt, first flowering, and then bolting and going to seed.

3. Temperature Extremes

Immature plants are easily stressed, particularly by extreme cold. And mature ones may react adversely when the barometer rises.

The ideal temperature range for broccoli cultivation is above 40°F, and below 80°F.

Fluctuations may lead to disruption of the growth cycle, causing vegetative growth to halt, and resulting in a premature jump to reproductive growth.

Temperatures that fluctuate with spikes or dips may cause the formation of small, bitter buttons, or full-size “loose” heads with an unpleasant taste.

4. Poor Planning

When seed is planted too late in the spring, plants may be too stressed by the heat of summer to form good heads.

Instead, they may produce small buttons, or large heads that are loosely joined.

Similarly, if you sow seed that is not suited to the growing season in your USDA Hardiness Zone, you may find that plants struggle to form heads because the weather is either too cool or too warm.

Proactive Measures

Nitrogen is a volatile element that is difficult to measure in the soil. However, a soil test can determine if you should amend yours with compost, fertilizer, or both.

If you fertilize, use a product that is well-balanced, slow-release, and does not contain an excess of nitrogen.

Water deeply once a week, unless it rains an inch or more. Hold off during wet spells, and never let the plants completely dry out.

If you have doubts about when to water, invest in a moisture meter and use it, the weather forecast, and common sense as your guides.

Weed regularly to prevent moisture-hogging invasives from depriving broccoli of much-needed moisture.

To inhibit the ill effects of temperature extremes, water plants well the day before a hot spell is expected. Use shade cloth to shelter plants from intense sunlight.

If a cold snap is in store, install floating row covers to provide protection, or use them during the entire growth cycle to minimize temperature fluctuations.

Plan well by purchasing seed from quality purveyors that are suited to your growing zone.

Consider starting seeds indoors to get them established before risking cold exposure. Acclimate seedlings gradually to the outdoors, and plant them after the last average frost date has passed.

Choose early or late varieties with days to maturity that match your growing season. Plant accordingly, to avoid time periods that are typically too cool or warm for broccoli cultivation.

Getting It Together

We’ve talked about four possible reasons for buttoning, including too much nitrogen, not enough moisture, temperature fluctuations, and poor planning. We’ve also suggested ways to prevent these from adversely affecting broccoli head formation in your vegetable patch.

Do take the time to read your seed packets and understand the types you grow, as there are some – called sprouting varieties – for which individual florets are not an anomaly, but the norm.