Category: Home & Garden

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Good old pepper root, as it’s also called, has been humbly popping up out of the woodland leaf litter spring after spring across the globe while the roses and sunflowers have been soaking up all the attention.

Those of us who love nature and recharge by taking a walk in the woods are always looking for ways to bring a bit of that beauty home. Toothwort is an excellent place to begin.

To help you bring some of the wilderness to your garden, we’re going to discuss the following:

Spring is an exciting time. There’s a reason that poets wax on about the reawakening of the world and artists try to capture that spirit on canvas.

Each little element that I can add to the garden to make spring feel that much more thrilling helps me shake off the winter doldrums and emotionally stretch my limbs for the coming warm days.

Toothwort might be quieter in the garden than some other flowers, but it’s every bit as vital for bringing in the woodland joy.

Oh, and did we mention it’s edible? Yep, it can bring joy to the kitchen, too.

Enough with the love letter to toothwort. Let’s jump in!

What Is Toothwort?

Toothworts are brassicas in the Cardamine genus, sometimes inaccurately classified as Dentaria, which are closely related plants known as cresses.

In the western part of North America, toothwort is one of those plants that is in botanical classification chaos.

Experts can’t seem to agree on which species should be shuffled into the Cardamine genus and which should be described as Dentaria.

For now, angled (C. angulata), alpine (C. bellidifolia), Nuttall’s (C. nuttallii), California (C. californica), western (C. occidentalis), little western (C. oligosperma), and yellow-tubered (C. nuttallii var. gemmata) toothworts are all classified as Cardamine species.

They’re common in low-elevation, forested areas near streams.

East of the Rockies, things are a little more organized. Look for cutleaf (C. concatenata, formerly D. laciniata), forkleaf (C. multifida), slender (C. heterophylla), two-leaf or crinkle root (C. diphylla), and large (C. maxima) toothwort.

Plants in this genus have been used by numerous native tribes, including the Algonquin, Cherokee, Iroquois, Micmac, Menominee, Ojibwa, Navajo, and Cheyenne, to reduce fevers, cure a headache, calm the stomach, ease a cold, reduce gas, calm a sore throat, and as an antidote to poison.

Toothworts are sometimes called cuckoo flowers because they start to bloom when the cuckoos start singing in the spring. They’re also called bittercresses, further confusing the classification.

Generally, the toothworts grow about a foot tall or slightly taller, with heavily toothed, whorled, medium-green or grayish-green leaves.

Plants have a basal rosette of leaves with long stems supporting the flowers and the siliques (aka the seed pods). Some have alternating leaves but others, like C. diphylla, have opposite leaves.

Most are spring ephemerals but some are evergreen, such as C. trifolia. Most are perennials but some are annuals or biennials. All need cool, moist conditions.

The clusters of four-petaled flowers these species produce are either pink, pale purple, or white and emerge in the early spring. The anthers are bright yellow and the sepals have a hint of purple.

After the flowers fade, which happens in about two weeks, they’re followed a month later by slender seed pods.

These oblong seed pods explode when they’re ripe, shooting seeds as far as six feet away.

These plants get their name from the fact that they have canine tooth-like growths on the stems underneath the ground.

The growths resemble teeth so distinctly that if you found one sitting around in the woods separate from the plant, you’d assume you’d found the fallen tooth of a raccoon or lynx.

These plants are an important food source for the mustard miner bee (Andrena arabis).

They’re also hosts to the falcate orangetip butterfly (Anthocharis midea), and serve as the only host of the West Virginia white butterfly (Pieris virginiensis).

Cultivation and History

Toothworts are part of the mustard family (Brassicaceae), along with vegetables like kale, Brussels sprouts, and cabbage.

Unlike those plants, toothworts haven’t been extensively cultivated – which is a shame, because they’re both attractive and delicious.

Plants in this genus occur across the world, but cutleaf toothwort, also known as pepper root or crow’s toes, is native to eastern North America and is one of the most commonly cultivated varieties.

There are even a few cultivars out there that you can often find at nurseries.

There are several species that have been brought to North America from Europe as well that you’ll find in stores. We’ll talk about all that in a bit.

Propagation

In the wild, toothworts reproduce by shooting their seeds out into the world or spreading underground via rhizomes.

Not all toothworts eject their seeds, some just drop to the ground. But either way, they’re spreading the love far and wide!

You can propagate them through the same methods, by sowing seed or dividing the roots. You can also buy seedlings at specialty nurseries.

From Seed

Propagating toothwort seed is a challenge, but if you time it right, you’ll set yourself up for success.

When the seed pods split, harvest the seeds and sow them right away. They don’t store well. For that reason, you should harvest the seeds yourself rather than buying them, unless you can be sure they were recently harvested.

You’ll know it’s time to nab the seeds when the pods are plump and brown. If they’re starting to split, act fast! Cut open a pod and scoop out the seeds.

Now you have two options. You can either put them directly in the soil after harvest or you can sow them in pots indoors after a period of stratification.

If you go the indoor growing route, the seeds can be kept for a month or so and then placed in moistened sand in a resealable container like a zip-top baggie or a small glass container.

If you store them, allow them to dry in a protected area and then keep them in a cool, dark place in an envelope.

Place it in a warm area with temperatures consistently between 60 and 80°F for 30 to 60 days, then move the container to the refrigerator for two to three months.

The timing here depends on when you can sow them outdoors in the spring. You’re looking for a few weeks before the last predicted frost date in your region.

If you can sow early in the year, you might do 30 days of warm temperatures followed by 60 days of cold. If you have to sow later in the year, go for 60 days warm and 90 days of cold.

After this period of warm/cold stratification, it’s time to sow your seeds in a container.

Fill a three-inch container or a six-cell tray with potting soil. Sow at least two seeds in each pot or cell about a quarter-inch deep. You want to plant at least two seeds because the germination rate for these is usually low.

Moisten the soil and keep it moist. It will take a few weeks, but if you did everything right, the seeds will germinate and you’ll see seedlings popping up.

Move them into an area with bright, indirect light. Keep the soil moist until the seedlings are a few inches tall and the last predicted frost date is about a month in the future.

Now it’s time to harden off the seedlings.

If you’ve never hardened off seedlings before, it involves gradually exposing seeds to the conditions that they’ll be growing in.

Pick up those seed trays or pots and take them outside during the warmest part of the day. If it’s well below freezing, don’t take them outside that day, but right around freezing is fine.

Put them in a shaded area for an hour, then take them back inside. The next day, put them back out in that spot for two hours. On the third day, do the same for three hours.

On the fourth day, put the seedlings in a spot where they’ll receive dappled sunlight.

Add an hour to this routine in that spot for the next three days. Now they’re ready to be transplanted, which we’ll describe below.

From Divisions

If you want to take a part of a wild plant, make sure you have permission. It’s pretty easy to identify these plants in the wild when they’re blooming, but the leaves are pretty distinct, too.

They have three or five lobes on each palmate leaf, which form at the base of the plant. When the plant is blooming, leaves might extend halfway up each stem, attached by a long petiole.

If in doubt, rip a piece off a leaf and smell it. It should smell a bit like horseradish.

You can divide at any time, but the safest time is when the plants are dormant and all of the above-ground parts are gone. That means you need to identify the plant when it’s growing and mark the spot for later.

Of course, those that are evergreen can be identified at any time of year. They should be divided in the fall or early spring.

Chances are that once you’ve found a single plant, you can dig anywhere nearby and find more, so don’t worry too much about marking the exact spot if that’s going to be difficult for you.

When dividing toothwort, you don’t need to dig deep. The rhizomes are shallow and grow parallel to the soil surface. If you encounter a root, follow it. The roots are light in color, knobby, and jointed.

Dig up as much of the root structure as possible, taking care to keep as many of the stems attached as you can if the plant isn’t dormant. Use a pair of clippers to divide up sections of root.

Remember, the roots look like teeth, and each “tooth” can be separated from the rest, but you’ll have the best luck if each part has several segments and a stem node.

If you’re transporting your roots before planting, wrap them in sturdy paper towels or newspaper and moisten the paper. Keep it moist until you can plant.

Plant each section half an inch deep and six inches apart in prepared soil and water well.

Transplanting

Stores that specialize in native species sometimes carry toothwort. You can also occasionally find European species at nurseries as well.

They’re not challenging at all to transplant. Dig down a few inches into the area where you’re planting and work in some well-rotted compost. Then, open up an area the size of the potting container and gently remove the seedling.

Set it in the hole and firm up the soil around it. Water well. Seedlings should be spaced about six inches apart.

How to Grow

Pepper root provides color in shady spots. Many will even grow and flower under the full shade of evergreens.

That said, you can give them a little bit of dappled sunlight or direct sun in the earliest morning hours and they’ll be just fine.

Some toothworts actually require a little dappled light to do their best, so be sure to check your particular species’ requirements.

Toothwort blooms in early spring before most deciduous trees leaf out. They bloom for about two weeks, and then those magical flowers fade. Don’t deadhead, just let them go and do their thing.

Don’t panic if you don’t see flowers in the first few years after planting. It takes about four years for the plants to start flowering when started from seed.

The rhizomes grow close to the surface of the soil, so you want to be careful not to disturb the soil around the plants. That means taking care when weeding.

Toothworts need moderately moist soil at all times. If you think about the moisture level of the soil in the woods under a canopy of trees and a bit of leaf litter, it’s usually pretty moist, and it doesn’t dry out much.

If you stick your finger in the soil, it should feel like a sponge that you’ve wrung out really well. That’s what you’re aiming for. Much wetter and you increase the chances of root rot. Drier and the plants may go dormant prematurely.

Don’t irrigate once the plants have faded and gone dormant.

There’s no need to fertilize, but you should toss some well-rotted compost onto the soil after the plants have gone dormant, by the start of summer.

Growing Tips

• Grow in full shade to dappled sunlight.
• Keep the soil moist at all times.
• Add compost to the soil after plants have faded at the end of spring.

Maintenance

The rhizomes of these plants grow close to the soil. You need to keep weeds out of the area or they’ll steal nutrients, and disturb the toothwort plants when you go to pull them out.

Spreading a thin layer of mulch over the root zone is a good idea, to help keep weeds away.

By early summer, the leaves will start to turn yellow and fade. Don’t remove them – let the leaves completely die back. They provide nutrients to the roots even as they fade.

When one plant starts fading you’ll know that the rest of them will be close behind. All of the plants will be gone within a week, tops.

Now is your chance to mark where the plants are located if you want to do any dividing or root harvesting later in the year.

If you let the plants go to seed, keep in mind that they might spread into areas where you don’t want them. To be safe, if you plan to harvest the seeds, you might want to tie gauze or mesh bags over the seed heads before they split.

Otherwise, snip off the siliques before they mature if you’re worried about spread.

Species to Select

All toothworts taste pretty much the same, so if flavor is your primary concern, go wild. It’s always a good idea to grow species that are native to your area.

Avoid wood bitter-cress (C. flexuosa) and hairy toothwort (C. hirsuta). These are species introduced from Europe, and they push out native toothworts.

Here are the most common species you can find in stores. We’ll discuss which are best for the home garden.

Cuckoo Flower

While all plants in the Cardamine genus might be referred to as cuckoo flowers, it’s C. pratensis that officially holds the title.

Also known as mayflower, this species thrives in wetlands and has become a popular marginal plant for pond gardens.

Just be aware that it isn’t native, so you shouldn’t let it spread beyond your garden if you do grow it.

It has become naturalized in many parts of the US, squeezing out native plants. However, it’s more mild mannered than the two species noted above.

It grows to about two feet tall and is tolerant of wet soil while it’s growing, but not during dormancy. The flowers are bright white with alternating compound leaves.

Cutleaf

Cutleaf toothwort is the most commonly cultivated in gardens and the easiest to find in stores. It’s the species that many people are talking about when they use the term “toothwort.”

C. concatenata has smooth tubers, which makes them easier to clean and use if that’s your goal.

The leaves are heavily serrated and the flowers can be white or pale purple.

‘American Sweetheart’ has olive-gray leaves with silver and purple-black veins.

Narrow-Leaved

You’ll have to look hard to find C. dissecta in stores, but this North American native is worth keeping around.

It has narrow leaves on long stems, which almost resemble petite ferns in the garden.

Starting in their second year, they’ll be topped by petite white flowers on three-foot stalks.

Three-Leaved

C. trifolia is an evergreen from Europe and it’s a pretty incredible option if you need an evergreen bloomer for full shade.

It’s pretty hard to find those, so when you do track down a good one, you should nab it.

It stays under six inches tall and happily spreads without becoming invasive. The leaves come in clusters of three.

Two-Leaved

C. diphylla (formerly Dentaria diphylla) is, along with cutleaf, one of the most common toothworts. It’s native all throughout eastern North America in shady meadows and woodlands.

This plant grows about 16 inches tall and forms a dense mound, which makes it perfect as a ground cover. As you may have guessed from the name, it produces opposite leaves in pairs.

Managing Pests and Disease

Toothworts are basically untroubled by pests and diseases. Their mustardy, peppery flavor even seems to deter deer.

I hesitate to list this as a pest, but the truth is that mice will eat these plants, and it’s a good and bad thing.

Toothwort is an essential part of the white-footed mouse’s (Peromyscus leucopus) diet. Other species of mice will eat them as well.

If you have a healthy patch of toothwort, don’t worry about deterring mice. They won’t destroy your garden. If they bother you, plant alliums near your toothworts.

Best Uses

For a flowering groundcover that amps up shaded areas, it’s hard to go wrong with toothwort.

You could group them in large patches or mix them among other plants that will pick up the slack in the summer, like lungwort, bleeding hearts, astilbe, and toad lilies.

Don’t plant them with other brassicas, though. They share diseases.

The leaves, stems, flowers, and roots are entirely edible. Both have a slightly peppery kick. In fact, I bet you could swap out the rhizome for horseradish and you’d never know the difference.

Harvest the leaves before the flowers emerge. After that, they turn more bitter.

The roots can be harvested at any old time, whether the leaves are present or not. The rhizomes break easily, which is both a positive and a negative.

It makes them a little hard to harvest but it also means that there will be more plants when they split and pieces are left behind in the ground.

The leaves and flowers can be used anywhere you would use mustard greens or horseradish leaves – on a burger, steak, deviled eggs, beets, potato salad, a green salad, stir-fries, eggrolls, you name it!

Blend up the roots to make a horseradish sauce and use it where you would use horseradish sauce.

In time I came to appreciate their ease of maintenance as much as their soothing foliage and drip-dropping flowers.

Let’s learn about where these plants came from, and why they deserve a spot in your garden.

What Are Bleeding Hearts?

Often referred to as “old fashioned bleeding hearts,” these herbaceous perennials are members of the poppy family, Papaveraceae.

Soft, green, fern-like foliage and stems support the iconic heart-shaped flower petals, complete with a tiny, trailing drop of color at the bottom of each flower.

It’s impossible not to see where this beauty gets its common name!

They bloom in mid-to-late spring to early summer, and die back over the hotter months, reappearing in all their splendor next season.

Bleeding hearts will thrive in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 9, bloom times may vary.

They are easy plants to care for, but require a skilled and artful eye to compensate for the the gap they leave in borders and beds after they’ve finished blooming.

Formerly known as Dicentra spectabilis, and indeed still referred to by this name by many nurseries, in 1997 the plant was reclassified as Lamprocapnos spectabilis.

According to an article published in 1997 in the Journal of Plant Systematics and Evolution by Magnus Linden et al, DNA testing revealed that the bleeding heart is actually more closely related to other members of the Lamprocapnos genus than those of Dicentra.

In 2006, the Royal Horticultural Society recognized the name change, and lists D. spectabilis as a synonym.

Cultivation and History

Originally from Asia, bleeding hearts made their way into Western gardens in the mid-nineteenth century.

Since then, they have become a familiar feature in many European and North American gardens.

Although not native to the United States or Europe, L. spectabilis is not considered invasive in these regions because of its brief bloom cycle and tendency to grow slowly in a contained area.

Propagation

While it is possible to grow L. spectabilis from seed, this isn’t usually recommended.

It does not transplant well after emerging as a seedling, and it can be difficult to get these seeds to germinate in the first place.

From Seed

If you’re a glutton for extra work, you can purchase seeds and start them indoors about 12 weeks before your average last frost date.

You’ll need to cold stratify them first, by placing the seeds in the refrigerator for four to six weeks before sowing. And be patient – it can take up to a month for them to germinate.

Keep the seedlings in full light and follow the basic rules of growing seedlings: rotate your plants so they don’t grow lopsided, don’t water too much, and plant extra because you’re probably going to lose some along the way.

Timing the transition from seed tray to garden can be difficult because L. spectabilis does not transplant easily, and an unexpected cold snap could ruin all of your planning and preparation.

When they have grown two sets of true leaves, plant out the seedlings in a shady or part-shade area of your garden and keep an eye on just where they’re planted.

Alternatively, you can sow seeds directly after harvesting them from an existing plant. Wait until the seed pods are completely dry, and sow them an inch deep.

From Division or Transplants

The easiest way to propagate bleeding hearts is through simple root division, or to purchase live plants that are ready for transplant.

Because the plant grows thick, rhizomatous roots, dividing it is an easy process with a high success rate. Follow our guide to dividing perennials to learn how.

You can divide your plants in fall, after they have been dormant through the summer months, or in spring when new growth starts to appear.

Place your transplants one to two feet apart in soil amended with compost, and place the transplanted L. spectabilis in an area you can easily check regularly.

Keep them watered, but not too wet. I like to give the plants a heavy drink right off the bat when they are first transplanted, and another deep drink by the end of the first week. Then keep an eye on them for the following weeks until they’re established.

You can also obtain dormant bare-root plants from nurseries, for planting out in spring.

Find more tips on propagating bleeding heart flowers here.

How to Grow

This will sound ridiculously simple, but that’s one of the beautiful traits of L. spectabilis. It’s a remarkably easy shade ornamental to grow.

Apart from a few minor pests to contend with, it’s hardy and requires a modicum of care and attention after planting.

It grows best in well-draining soil that’s moist and rich in organic matter, such as leaf mold or compost.

Avoid planting in areas where the soil is prone to drying out. A pH of 6.0 to 7.0 is ideal, as soil that is too alkaline can cause yellowing foliage.

In its native environment, bleeding hearts grow in a woodland setting, so aim to mimic that soil – rich in organic matter with consistent moisture.

Besides following the standard order of operations for planting a new addition to your garden, caring for bleeding hearts only requires meeting a few basic needs to keep it happy and full of life.

As in real estate, the key to happiness here is location, location, location.

Bleeding hearts mostly prefer shade or part-shade locations.

If it’s not an overly sunny (southwest) area of a yard, I’ve seen plants receive as much as eight hours of sun a day and still produce bountiful flowers.

However, this is an exception, as this plant strongly prefers at least some shade during the day as a reprieve from the heat and sun. Sounds like me.

Regular moisture levels in the soil are an important factor in the health of the plant, but it’s easy to overdo it.

While many companions in your garden require an inch of rain a week, including L. spectabilis, your bleeding hearts don’t want to dry out either.

They require a consistent level of moisture in the soil, and while they never wants it sopping wet, they can’t tolerate dry periods either.

This is why a shady location works best, and your plants will need additional irrigation during dry spells.

This plant is buddy-buddy with ferns, astilbe, and hellebores, so aim to mimic these cool and evenly-moist conditions that they enjoy as best you can.

In fact, the toughest part of growing L. spectabilis is finding the right companion plants for this nigh-ephemeral perennial.

It loses its foliage quickly as the summer heat sets in, and can leave a noticeable gap in the garden once it goes bye-bye.

Except for stones and natural pieces of the landscape, I’ve never liked ornamentation in a garden.

Sorry, I just can’t do it! But many of my clients love this type of art and craft, so I may position a bird bath, metal wire sculpture, or (at one house) even an (ugly) garden gnome near to the bleeding hearts.

When the foliage dies back and is removed, these decorations can take precedence in that now empty space.

I think that gnome’s name is Winklebottom. He’s alright, for a gnome.

The best selection to compensate for the inevitable empty spot where bleeding hearts once stood is to find a companion plant that appreciates the room to grow just as L. spectabilis is dying back.

If you’re looking for something taller to fill the gap, consider a bed of ferns, anemone, or annual plants like impatiens and begonias.

On the shorter side of the scale, I like to pair bleeding hearts with ginger, painted ferns, heuchera (because they’re impervious and lovely all at once), and hellebores.

Growing Tips

Pruning and Maintenance

Have you provided enough shade and the appropriate amount of moisture for your bleeding hearts?

Good, that’s about all you gotta do.

Besides this very basic lesson of “location, location, location,” you’ll need to cut your L. spectabilis back when it’s finished flowering.

The foliage and stems should start to dry up and get all sorts of crispy by July. It’s not inappropriate to cut the foliage back a little sooner, and likewise to leave it standing for much longer.

In the right gardens – I’m thinking woodland settings – I like to leave the foliage of my bleeding hearts up for as long as possible.

I understand that allowing dead plant matter to accumulate can create a breeding ground for disease and bacteria. But I figure these plants got along just fine without an attentive gardener for thousands of years. They know what they’re doing, right?

It’s up to you whether you want to cut back the foliage when it dies, or leave it alone.

Managing Pests and Disease

On the whole, these plants don’t suffer from many problems with pests or disease. However, there are a few things to watch out for:

Herbivores

I live my gardening life by the motto “nothing is deer proof,” so I won’t say with 100 percent certainty that deer, rabbits, and other grazers are going to ignore L. spectabilis if nothing better is on the menu.

However, this plant is rarely of interest to grazing critters, and is more likely to sustain damage from a deer carelessly charging through the garden than to be subject to a quick nibble.

Insects

This plant is remarkably resistant to bothersome pests. I’ve yet to see any serious damage on any of the bleeding hearts I care for.

I attribute this to their innate resistance and also their relatively short active growth phase.

Aphids

Barely a concern, most aphid infestations will resolve themselves. You could use an insecticidal spray to alleviate your aphid problems, or buy some ladybugs and parasitic wasps to eliminate these sap-sucking insects.

Learn more about how to control aphids in your garden here.

Or take a page out of my book and let it be. Chances are that by the time you notice the yellowing leaves of your L. spectabilis and figure out it’s the work of aphids, you’ll be near the end of the growing season, at which point you can simply cut back the remaining foliage or ignore the bugs altogether.

Disease

Besides aphids, bleeding hearts can be plagued by a couple of diseases due to their ideal growing conditions being in wet, shady areas.

Fusarium Wilt

Fusarium wilt is a fungal disease that starts as a root-based problem, and works its way up to the tippy-top of the plant and leaves with telltale dark streaks on the stems. It can also cause damping off in seedlings and young plants. You can learn more about damping off here.

Verticillium Wilt

Verticillium wilt is also a fungal disease that causes problems in the vascular tissue of the stem, reducing water and nutrient uptake. Stems and foliage will wilt and then turn yellow, and eventually die off.

In both scenarios, your best solution is to simply remove and destroy the plant.

Avoid planting any other L. spectabilis plants in this location for at least a year to prevent a recurrence.

Find more tips on identifying and treating diseases of bleeding heart plants here.

Yellowing Leaves? It’s Not a Problem

Because bleeding hearts are such a short-lived perennial above ground, they tend to yellow and fade quickly.

I’ve seen them last through July but rarely into mid-August. If the foliage is yellowing but not presenting signs of the above fungi, you can simply ignore the condition of the plants.

They have a short season, and lose their green sooner than other plants in the garden.

We have more information on why bleeding heart leaves may turn yellow here.

Best Uses

I’ve got a garden full of ones and twos; that is, I have a garden full of singular specimen plants with little attention to mass plantings.

I like a kaleidoscope of color and interest, and I find incomparable joy in watching a sort of left-and-right-and-back-again season of interest.

For that reason, I prefer to have bleeding hearts scattered around a growing area.

This allows random pops of heart-shaped flowers and color in the spring and early summer, ideally nestled beneath a large tree or in the undergrowth of shrubbery.

I let the plants grow and spread as they like until they start to grow unruly. At that point, I divide the plant and transplant some, or give others to my friends and neighbors.

But in some gardens where I work, the clients prefer more uniformity.

In that scenario, I suggest planting L. spectabilis in tight clumps surrounded by companion plants to fill in the gaps later in the summer. This is a perennial that works well en masse.

On the flip side, if you’re working with a more limited space, a single section dedicated to bleeding hearts will do the trick just fine.

They are a subtle and somehow still striking specimen to place in the garden.

My aunt had three rhododendrons in her front yard spaced about three feet apart, and these lovely shrubs were hyphenated in between with bleeding hearts.

Some years the bloom season overlapped and others it didn’t, but the years when this show of blooms coincided were well worth it.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Herbaceous perennial	Flower / Foliage Color:	Pink, red, white; green, yellow-gold
Native to:	Siberia, China, Korea, Japan	Maintenance:	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	3-9	Tolerance:	Shade, deer, most pests
Season:	Spring and early summer	Water Needs:	Moist but not soggy
Exposure:	Shade to part sun	Soil Type:	Average
Time To Maturity:	60 days	Soil pH:	7.0 (neutral)
Spacing:	12-24 inches	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Planting Depth:	1 inch (seeds). depth of the root ball (transplants)	Companion Planting:	Astilbe, begonias, ferns, hellebore, impatiens, and spring bulbs
Height:	1-3 feet	Uses:	Specimens, mass plantings, beds and borders
Spread:	1-3 feet	Family:	Papaveraceae
Growth Rate:	Moderate	Genus:	Lamprocapnos
Pests & Diseases:	Aphids; wilt	Species:	spectabilis

Melinda comments:

“Along with roots, people sometimes forget rabbits, ducks and chicken eggs are a very quick way to feed a family with food that is far more filling than veg. In an emergency animals can convert so much of the wild greens around us (that we can’t safely eat) into something that gives your body real energy! Raising your own meat is also far more kind, ethical and more earth friendly than ANY other meat you’ll find in the store (as well as most the shipped in produce from nuts and avocados, too). My rabbits are loved, happy and spoiled. And if you feel bad cutting their lives a little short, just look at nature. Just about EVERYTHING eats rabbits. They’re designed either by God or Natural Selection (whatever you believe) to be the ideal food of the grand majority of healthy predators, worldwide. ….And they’re delicious. BETTER than chicken in my opinion.

Another great food for fattening up meat rabbits is the leaves from Mulberries, so perfect for taking advantage of a male or a female that has been trimmed up. They LOVE them and they’re very balanced for rabbit nutrition enough to make up 50-60% of their diet. One Mulberry tree creates more rabbit food than timothy grass growing in the same square footage 😉

My meat rabbits love eating ginger leaves and I like them too, despite being a a little tough/stringy – the flavor is really good! I chop them fine against the leaf strings and use them in any dish that calls for fresh ginger and/or mild greens. They’re not bitter, even in the 110 summer heat where I live. Just tossed with some oil in a pan, maybe a little bacon they make a great side dish ;)”

Her comments are on this video:

In my opinion, animal foods are superior to vegetable foods. If I were forced to choose between a carnivore or a vegetarian diet, I would choose the former.

Yet keeping animals for food isn’t easy compared to growing plants. There are unique difficulties, and sometimes land or neighbors can be an issue.

Feeding chickens from your own land can be quite difficult or impossible, and rabbits take a lot of tending. We’ve kept them before – twice – and given up both times. If we needed them to survive, we would make it work, just as we would find a way to completely feed our chickens from the land if need be.

If there were food shortages, all of us would have to work a lot harder. Right now, our gardens and animals are not vital to our survival and it’s easy enough to go buy meat and vegetables to make up for the lack coming in from our backyards. If times get a lot tighter, our homesteading will have to do the same. Planting lots of mulberries for rabbit fodder and growing corn to feed the chickens will just have to happen. If you can’t count on bagged chicken feed and alfalfa pellets, growing food just for the animals becomes a priority.

In the past I have side-stepped keeping animals due to the difficulties involved, instead focusing on potatoes and cassava and chestnuts, etc., as filling staple crops. Long-term, however, it’s much better to also have animal foods. We have the acreage for a few cows and pigs and goats and chickens and such, though many do not.

If you can afford the time and the land, Melinda is correct: animals turn low quality green material into high-quality foods such as meat, milk and eggs.

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Green plants? Well of course! What else would our topic be for a St. Patrick’s Day episode? Today we’re talking about plants that are stunners despite being “just green.” Turns out that these selections of perennials, annuals, trees, and shrubs are some of the most textural and eye-catching plants you can grow. And, we’ll remind listeners right at the top of the show—green comes in tons of different shades. So make way for some chartreuse, emerald, and lime colored options that are just what your garden needs. We can’t guarantee planting these gems will attract leprechauns but having them in your beds will make you feel like you’ve scored a pot of gold.

Expert guest: Mark Dwyer is garden manager for the Edgerton Hospital Healing Garden and operates Landscape Prescriptions by MD in Wisconsin.

Danielle’s Plants

Irish moss (Sagina subulata, Zones 4-8)

Beesia (Beesia deltophylla, Zones 6-9)

‘Soft Caress’ mahonia (Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’, Zones 6-11)

Hacquetia (Hacquetia epipactis syn. Sanicula epipactis, Zones 5-7)

 

Carol’s Plants

Langsdorff’s tobacco (Nicotiana langsdorffii, annual)

Maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum, Zones 3-8)

Lady’s mantle (Alchemilla mollis, Zones 3-8)

‘Cupressina’ Norway spruce (Picea abies ‘Cupressina’, Zones 3-8)

 

Expert’s Plants

‘Virdis’ and ‘Green Tails’ love-lies-bleeding (Amaranthus caudatus ‘Green Tails’ and ‘Viridis’, annual)

‘Act Green’ and ‘Spring Green’ cockscomb (Celosia cristata ‘Act Green’ and ‘Spring Green’, annual)

‘Sunday Green’ and ‘Sylphid’ plume celosia (Celosia plumosa ‘Sunday Green’ and ‘Sylphid’, annual)

‘Green Ball’ dianthus (Dianthus ‘Green Ball’, annual)

Bells-of-Ireland (Moluccella laevis, annual)

‘Queen Lime’ zinnia (Zinnia elegans ‘Queen Lime’, annual)

‘August Forest’ gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta ‘August Forest’, annual)

‘Green Jewel’ coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Jewel’, Zones 4-9)

‘Green Envy’ coneflower (Echinacea purpurea ‘Green Envy’, Zones 4-9)

‘Limelight’ panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’, Zones 3-9)

Little Lime ™ panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘Bulk’, Zones 3-9)

Little Lime Punch ™ panicle hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata ‘SMNHPH’, Zones 3-9)

Lettuce is one of the most worthwhile seeds to grow. For a little amount of effort and a super low cost, you’ll get a reward of bountiful lettuce. No matter your type of garden, growing lettuce in containers is simple to do. Here’s how!

I wouldn’t have believed you if you had told me a few years ago the high price of lettuce now. I’ll be honest and say I’m not a huge food grower. Since I had a small urban garden, I was picky about the veggies I would choose to grow.

But lettuce? Lettuce has always been top of the list of seeds I plant.

It’s one of the easiest plants to grow, especially in containers. If you only have a balcony or even just a kitchen garden, you can grow lettuce.

It’s also extremely cheap to grow. With succession planting, you can have lettuce every day of the spring, summer, fall, and, dare I say, winter (if you’re crafty enough.).

Today, I’m breaking down all my tips and tricks for how to grow lettuce in containers. Let’s go!

Jump ahead to…

Expert Tips for Growing Lettuce in Containers

• Choose a container with a minimum depth of 10-12 inches. Lettuce has shallow roots, which allow you more flexibility for container size.
• More fertile soil will allow for faster, sweeter lettuce growth. Add compost!
• Grow leaf salad greens so you can harvest as you need them rather than wait for a whole head of lettuce to grow.
• Plant the seeds densely. Thin them out as they get bigger, and eat all the baby greens you take away.
• Grow lettuce in full sun, though shelter them from heavy heat in the summer.
• Harvest lettuce in the mornings while hydrated and keep it stored in a salad spinner in the fridge until ready for use.
• After you harvest greens, sprinkle more lettuce seeds about every 2-3 weeks for an endless supply of lettuce.

Why You Should Grow Lettuce in a Container

As I mentioned, lettuce is one of the few vegetables I make sure to plant every year. And I almost exclusively grow it in containers!

For me, it started as a way to stop the slugs from eating up all my lettuce supply. Besides slugs, elevating your lettuce from the ground prevents pests from taking over.

Lettuce is also one of the cheapest and easiest plants to grow. It has a high yield. For every seed packet costing about $5, you can grow the equivalent of 20 containers of store-bought lettuce.

The height of a container also makes it easy to harvest from. If the container isn’t too big, you can also move it as needed. So full sun in the summer, and perhaps some shade when it’s overly hot out.

How to Grow Lettuce in a Container

Growing lettuce in containers is easy when you use all these tips and tricks, I swear!

Step 1: Choosing a Container

Not all containers are the same. When it comes to containers, deeper is better than anything wide and shallow. Deeper contains retain water better.

Luckily, lettuce does have shallow roots, so you can get away with a smaller container than the average vegetable. Ideally, you want something that is a 3-gallon or larger or a minimum depth of 10-12 inches.

And if you love your lettuce, please please ensure your container has drainage holes. If it doesn’t, then add some with a drill!

If you’re planning to upcycle a container, ensure the container is food safe. For example, old tires or pressure-treated wood are no-gos.

I have planted and seen lettuce in all kinds of different containers, including a wine barrel, an upcycled pallet, hanging basket, in grow bags, within the home, and more.

Step 2: Filling Your Container

I always opt to make my own potting mixes. This allows me to customize the soil based on the plant’s needs and ensure only quality ingredients are used. However, you can also buy potting soil. Just make sure you buy one designed for pots and containers, as garden soil will be too dense.

The more fertile the soil is, the quicker the lettuce will grow. And the quicker it grows, the sweeter the lettuce tastes. Mix in some compost to make your soil especially fertile.

If you have a large container, like a wine barrel, filling the entire thing with soil can get pricey. See some of my go-to alternatives for the bottom of a container or raised bed.

Step 3: Choosing Your Lettuce

Typically, I avoid growing head lettuce. Instead, I prefer leaf salad greens as I don’t have to wait to harvest the whole thing. I can cut them as I need them! But if head lettuce is your thing, don’t let me stop you.

Some of my favourite lettuce to grow includes:

You can easily buy pre-mixed seeds for baby greens or salad mixtures. I also recommend some of these unusual salad greens!

Step 4: Planting Lettuce

Planting your lettuce may be the easiest step. All you have to do is sprinkle the seeds on top of the soil and give it a good water. Plant the seeds densely.

You can choose to start the seeds indoors on a plastic garden tray about 3-4 weeks before the last frost or plant them in your containers outside after the last frost has passed. Leafy greens are cool vegetables, so they love to grow in early spring as soon as the ground allows it.

Another tip, throw in some chives in the mix. They will help ward off any further pests that get to your container.

Step 5: Caring for Lettuce

Lettuce grows best in full sun, though it does tolerate partial shade. Since they’re a cool season crop, they don’t like hot hot temperatures, however. Feel free to move your container to get them out of the afternoon sun in peak summer.

You can also plant them in containers alongside taller vegetables where they will get some shade. The heat can also make them bolt faster (begin flowering), which is something you don’t want!

As the seedlings grow, make sure to thin them out. Luckily, you can eat all those baby greens, and they’ll have tons of sweet flavour.

Since lettuce has shallow roots, you’ll want to water them regularly. Water twice a week during the spring and fall is good, and check on them every day when it’s hot.

If you want to extend the growing season, use an umbrella greenhouse for lettuce in the fall or spring. Lettuce also grows well in cold frames for lettuce even in the winter!

Step 6: Harvesting Lettuce

You won’t have to wait long to start snipping your lettuce. Within three weeks (depending on the variety), you should have some greens that you can already begin munching on.

To harvest, use sharp, clean scissors and cut the lettuce while it’s still hydrated in the morning. Often by dinnertime, the lettuce has slightly wilted. For leafy greens, cut mid-sized outer leaves. Or, harvest the whole head.

Make sure to harvest everything before the lettuce flowers. Known as bolting, the lettuce will taste bitter after it flowers.

Lettuce tastes best eaten the same day it’s harvested. Wash the lettuce, then use a salad spinner. Keep the lettuce in the fridge right in the salad spinner. This keeps it the freshest.

Step 7: Succession Planting

By far, my favourite thing about lettuce is how easy it is to succession plant. You can have a constant supply of fresh greens if you do.

After you harvest some greens, sprinkle seeds where you harvested them. I do this about every 2-3 weeks. This way, you always have lettuce available when you need it.

Frequently Asked Questions About Growing Lettuce in Containers

More Posts About Growing Food

There’s a hot plant on the market right now. And it’s not an exotic rose or rare Himalayan poppy. It’s Carex, a highly versatile native sedge. “There’s one for every single garden,” says Sam Hoadley, the manager of horticultural research at Mt. Cuba Center, the botanic garden in Delaware committed to native plant conservation and their habitats. Hoadley and team just completed a four-year trial of more than 70 varieties (65 species and five cultivars) of this grass-like perennial for the mid-Atlantic region. “Carex can grow in everything from shaded, swamp conditions to dry sand dunes on the coast—and everything in between.” Plus, they help retain soil and suppress weeds; provide habitats for wildlife, like the endangered bog turtle; are deer resistant—and did we mention beautiful? And if that hasn’t sold you yet, Carex can also be grown as a native lawn alternative.

All the recent buzz about Carex has caused some species to sell out at nurseries. But the demand is a good thing, thinks Hoadley. “It is going to drive production,” he says. “If you want to see a change in the nursery industry, ask for native plants.” The more native plants we incorporate into our yards, the better our gardens will be for the planet. To learn more about the trial and find a Carex that’s right for your garden, go here.

Below, he shares six popular Carex species to consider. “Since they are a cool season perennial, which means they’re doing the bulk of their growing in cooler temperatures, Carex are best planted in the spring and fall,” says Hoadley.

Photography courtesy of Mt. Cuba Center.

Carex pensylvanica

C. woodii

C. eburnea

C. bromoides

C. muskingumensis

C. grayi

See also:

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Today’s photos are from Joan Ganley.

My garden in January is always a cold and snowy place. Looking out on the snowy landscape, I make notes of where I might improve my winter interest. In the backyard this currently includes ‘Miss Kim’ lilacs (Syringa pubescens ‘Miss Kim’, Zones 3–8), spruce (Picea, Zones 2–7), crabapples (Malus), Viburnum, ninebark (Physocarpus opulifolius, Zones 2–8), ‘Matrona’ sedum (Hylotelephium telephium ‘Matrona’, Zones 2–9). There is also an obelisk and a birdbath.

My supervisor inspects the winter sowing project.

Fast-forward a couple of months to the first flowers of spring: Crocus.

Fritillaria pallidiflora (Zones 5–9) is a spring ephemeral with large, buttery yellow bell-shaped blooms that last about three weeks before setting seed and then disappearing underground until next year.

The garden is in full-swing by June with Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ (Zones 3–9), pink Paeonia veitchii (Zones 4–8), yellow Primula, the pink flowers on the crabapples, and the various-colored foliage of Heuchera. Clematis durandii (Zones 5–9), on the obelisk, will bloom from July through October, and Dahlia ‘Cornel Bronze’ (Zones 8–10 or as a tender bulb) will start flowering in August and continue until frost.

Peonies are an early summer highlight throughout the garden, including the unusual peachy, copper color of Paeonia (Itoh) ‘Singing in the Rain’.

The supervisor is serious about his work and is always on the job. Here he is inspecting Dahlia ‘Ferncliff Copper’, which grew well over the height of our 6-foot fence.

 

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We always want to get the best out of our plants. When they’re not in bloom, we want great foliage; when they flower, we want the biggest and brightest blooms.

Even with produce, we want them to be big and full of flavor. This is why we fertilize our plants regardless of whether they’re in a pot or the ground.

But with so many fertilizer choices out there, how do you know which one to use?

Best Fertilizer For Annuals

Choosing the best fertilizer for your annual isn’t difficult, but it takes some consideration.

Here’s everything you need to know to choose the best possible fertilizer for any annual plant.

Warning: There Isn’t A One-Type Fits All Answer

Plants are like people: no two are exactly the same, and their heritage can play a big role in their nutritional needs.

This is why you can’t just use the same fertilizer for every plant.

We’re presenting a way to make an educated choice in the type of fertilizer you buy, but the exact NPK ratio and dosages will require you to do a little research on each plant to find out its specific needs.

Understanding NPK

On every package of fertilizer, you’ll find a series of three numbers. These numbers are known as the NPK and tell how much nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is present in the fertilizer.

These three nutrients are the heart of plant nutrition, and while all are needed for general health, each has its own special benefits.

• Nitrogen is essential for healthy foliage and will encourage new stems and leaves.
• Phosphorus is essential for healthy blooms.
• Potassium ensures strong stems and boosts the plant’s immune system.

These three nutrients are often balanced, such as 10-10-10, while some may be high in nitrogen (ex: 4-2-2), phosphorus, or potassium.

There are even fertilizers that only provide one nutrient, such as a 4-0-0 nitrogen fertilizer that’s most often used for lawns.

It’s important to know the exact NPK ratio your plant needs, as some species or even cultivars can differ slightly compared to their close relatives.

When in doubt, people often stick to a balanced fertilizer, but this isn’t always the best option.

Another consideration is that you can also often begin with higher nitrogen fertilizer in spring and switch to a high phosphorus recipe when bloom time nears to get the most out of your plant.

Other Important Nutrients

But nitrogen is just one of many nutrients your fertilizer should contain. It can be difficult to find what other micro and macronutrients are present because they aren’t considered important.

These nutrients include:

• Boron
• Calcium
• Copper
• Iron
• Magnesium
• Manganese
• Molybdenum
• Sulfur
• Zinc

Note that only trace amounts of these nutrients are necessary, so the exact amounts aren’t usually given. In most cases, these additional nutrients will be listed on the back or side of the package.

Liquid Soluble vs. Slow-Release

This is one of the great ongoing debates among plant enthusiasts.

Slow-release granules break down over a longer time, meaning you don’t have to apply them as often.

However, the nutrients contained within break down at different rates, meaning your plant won’t be getting the same balance of nutrition throughout the period between applications.

Meanwhile, liquid-soluble fertilizers can be given when it’s time to water the plant, and the nutrients are immediately available to your plant in an easily absorbed form.

You will need to apply these fertilizers more often, but diluting them to specific percentage strengths is much easier, allowing you far more flexibility.

Organic vs. Synthetic

This is another sticking point for a lot of plant enthusiasts.

Synthetic fertilizers can be stored for years, and some can even be stored indefinitely. However, there are a few drawbacks to using them.

Synthetics have a higher chance of causing chemical burns if they come in contact with your plant.

They can also leave behind more mineral salts, eventually making the soil toxic if not flushed out occasionally.

Finally, it’s not as easy to absorb as organic fertilizers, so the effects are slightly weakened (although this difference can often be too small to notice in an annual plant).

However, this doesn’t mean synthetic fertilizers don’t have their uses, and when used properly, they can still produce great results.

Organic fertilizers are quite different. Some organic options out there have a shelf life of several years when properly stored.

They closely mimic how the soil absorbs nutrients in nature, meaning they’re more easily absorbed by your plants and have a smaller chance of causing burns if it comes in contact with the plant.

Of course, you can also make many types of organic fertilizers at home, which can save money or address specific nutritional deficiencies.

A Few Recommended Fertilizer Brands For Annuals

Finally, let’s take a look at a few brands on the market that are known to be good quality.

It’s important that you never buy cheap fertilizer from a company that doesn’t have a great reputation.

These companies usually save money by cutting corners, and the fertilizer will likely be poor quality or have a drastically reduced shelf life.

All three of the following brands are well-known for their quality, affordability, and ability to use their products on both indoor and outdoor plants.

Miracle-Gro is one of the most trusted names in plant care. They offer a huge range of plant foods balanced for specific types of plants, such as a wonderful liquid-soluble rose food.

Both organic and synthetic options are available.

Another popular brand is Jobe’s Organics, sometimes a little more expensive than Miracle-Gro. What makes this brand great is that all of its fertilizers are 100% percent organic.

They offer both slow-release and liquid-soluble options for a wide range of plants, from the smallest houseplants to citrus trees.

A third option is Osmocote, made by the same company that makes Miracle-Gro.

Osmocote offers a handful of slow-release fertilizers that use a special coating to help regulate nutrient release.

This innovation helps to eliminate one of the biggest problems with slow-release fertilizers, making it a great choice for those who are often on the go and need something that lasts longer.

Growing watermelons is not the enormous undertaking you might think it’s bound to be, though a little garden planning will help.

I’ll cover everything you need to know about growing these juicy fruits in your own garden, and before you know it, you’ll be eating homegrown watermelon by the slice at breakfast, at your summer picnics, and blended into cocktails.

Here’s what’s ahead:

Cultivation and History

Watermelon is known for being not only sweet and juicy, but also incredibly refreshing, perhaps more so than any other fruit.

Several years ago, when I was living through a heat wave with no air conditioning, a large serving of watermelon every afternoon was what pulled me through the worst of it.

Watermelons are 92% water – which should help explain why they are so darn refreshing on a hot day.

And believe it or not, this fruit’s ability to hydrate us is an important part of its history, leading us all the way back to its first use by humans.

Watermelons are native to Africa, where they were first used not so much as a food source, but as a source of water.

The thick rind allowed people to store these melons for long periods of time, and transport them without damage, using them as a water source in hot desert climates.

There are many different types of wild melons growing in Africa that have been considered to be the possible ancestor of our cherished cultivated watermelon. These include the citron melon, from the Kalahari, and the egusi melon, native to West Africa.

However, evidence points to northeastern Africa as the place of origin for modern watermelons, with its ancestor most likely being Citrullus lanatus var. colocynthoides.

In parts of north Africa, these hydrating fruits still grow wild on drought-tolerant, vining plants.

This fruit has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. Watermelon seeds and paintings of watermelons were found in King Tut’s tomb, as well as in those of other ancient Egyptian nobility.

This fruit eventually spread from Africa to the Mediterranean region, and was known in ancient Greece as the pepon.

Watermelons continued their journey into the rest of Europe, and were eventually introduced to the Americas by European colonists and enslaved African people.

In the US, it’s primarily the flesh of watermelons that is consumed, but the seeds are a popular snack in other parts of the world, and the rind is also edible. Pickled watermelon rind, anyone?

Watermelons grow on sprawling vines – just like their relatives, honeydew and cantaloupe melons, squash, gourds, and cucumbers.

While for most of us these fruits may conjure up visions of something hefty and oblong with light and dark green stripes, watermelons come in a wide range of skin patterns and sizes.

When you grow your own at home, you open up your options to a stunning array of varieties. I’ll get to those a little later.

First let’s talk about best growing practices. Now that we know a bit about where these melons come from, this knowledge should help us in deciding how and where to grow them.

Propagation

Before you run out to your garden with your seed packet in hand, make sure to check the number of days required for your variety to reach maturity.

Depending on how this number compares to the number of days in your growing season, you may want to start your plants indoors instead of direct sowing.

These melons are most successful when sown directly in the garden since their roots are fairly sensitive – however, direct sowing may not work for all varieties and certainly doesn’t work for all climates.

Some varieties can take 100 days or more to produce ripe fruit.

There’s nothing more disappointing than watching a healthy, vigorous plant run out of time to bring its fruit to maturity because of an early fall frost.

Choose a variety that will mature within your growing season or consider starting your seeds indoors and setting out transplants after your last spring frost.

I’ll cover both methods of propagation – but let’s start with direct sowing.

Direct Sowing

Watermelons are warm-season plants that do not tolerate cold weather and will succumb to late frosts.

So make sure you exercise a little patience – the best time to plant your seeds is at least two weeks after your average last spring frost date.

For watermelon seeds to germinate, the soil needs to be a minimum of 60°F. If you can wait for your soil to heat up to the 70-95°F range, germination will be more successful and faster.

The ideal soil temperature for watermelon seed germination is 95°F.

Once you have prepared your melon patch (as described below) and the soil is warm enough, you’re ready to sow your seeds.

Soil that is moist but not soggy is ideal, so either water your planting area a few hours ahead of time, or wait a few hours after rainfall.

You’ll want to plan on planting these seeds about 3/4 to 1 inch deep, so scrape about an inch of soil to the side of your planting area.

Next, smooth the surface of the soil in your planting area so that it’s even, then press three or four seeds flat into the surface of the soil.

Now use the soil you scraped to the side to cover the seeds. Pat the soil gently to ensure good contact with the seeds.

Gently water the seeds in with a watering wand or a watering can.

In my dry climate, I water my freshly planted seeds once a day until the seedlings have sprouted and have grown a couple of sets of true leaves.

You may not need to water quite so often if your soil is not prone to drying out, and if you get regular rain showers.

Within five to ten days, your seedlings should germinate.

When your seedlings are a few inches tall, with two or more sets of true leaves, thin your plants.

Choose the two best looking seedlings and snip the other ones off with a pair of scissors, leaving two plants per hill or crater. (Not sure what hills and craters are? We’ll get to that a little later, so keep reading!)

How to Grow

To grow your own watermelons at home, you’ll want to make sure you provide your plants with the best possible growing conditions for a delicious and generous harvest.

But first of all, you’ll have to select a good site for your plants, one that has the best possible soil, copious sun exposure, and plenty of room.

Site Selection

Watermelons are like any other veggie or fruit vine, in that they spread out and take up as much space as you’ll give them.

Like pumpkins, they can also go outside of their boundaries, looping over fences and even wrapping around other plants.

You’ll want to take this tendency to sprawl into account when you prepare your watermelon patch.

To make sure your melons have plenty of room to grow (and to prevent them from disturbing neighboring plants), you may want to pick a planting area far away from the rest of your garden.

If your garden space is limited and creating a separate melon patch isn’t feasible for you, consider planting them at the edge of your garden and train the vines to grow where they aren’t in the way.

Or you can even go vertical and try your hand at growing your melons on a trellis – though the fruit will need support and the trellis will need to be very sturdy.

One more caveat to consider is that it’s best not to plant watermelons where you grew cucurbits – squash, cucumbers, gourds, or melons – in the past three years, to reduce the risk of pest and disease issues.

Keeping track of crop rotations is fairly easy when you are gardening in raised beds – especially with the help of your garden journal.

Sun

Once you have a potential growing site picked out that provides enough room for 10-foot vines, you’ll want to make sure it also gets plenty of sun.

These plants require a full sun location, which means eight to 10 hours a day – or more – of direct sunlight.

You’ll also need plenty of heat, so if you live somewhere where you have to put on a sweater during the day in midsummer, your best bet would be to grow these fruits in a greenhouse or cold frame.

When preparing your garden beds, make sure to look around and identify any trees that might shade your garden once they fully leaf out, and site your melon patch away from any potential shade.

Remember, at their origins these were desert plants that grew under direct sun with only the shade of their own leaves for protection.

On the other hand, it’s also wise to consider that these plants are descendants of those desert plants and have lost some of their natural resilience to heat through selective breeding.

The fruits of some varieties are prone to sunburn.

If you’re concerned about this risk, pick a sunburn-resistant variety such as ‘Charleston Grey,’ ‘Klondike Blue Ribbon Striped,’ or ‘Sugar Baby.’

Soil

Watermelons grow best in loose, well drained, sandy soil. If you’re unsure what type of soil you have, it’s a good idea to conduct a soil test.

This will give you an understanding of your soil, its pH, and what type of fertilizer, if any, you’ll need.

If you get your soil test results back and learn that you have sandy loam, you’re good to go. If not, you’ll want to mix some sand into your garden soil when you prepare your melon patch.

There is an exception to this – if you are working with clay soil, adding sand can cause the soil to turn into a cement-like substance.

For gardeners with clay, first work on creating a lighter texture by amending it with compost.

In the meantime, your best bet may be to grow your melons in raised beds with a mixture of garden soil and sand.

Your soil test will also provide information about the soil pH. Watermelons grow best in soil with a pH between 6.0-7.5.

Whether you plant in raised beds or in the ground, work compost into the soil at the rate of 50-100 pounds per 1000 square feet to improve soil structure – and be sure to fertilize.

I’ll get to that part shortly.

To keep your soil loose, avoid walking on or otherwise compacting your planting area.

You may want to consider no-till style gardening, but do make sure you loosen up the soil before planting.

Creating Your Melon Patch

Unless you live in an arid climate like I do, you’ll need to mound up small hills to plant your melons on.

This provides a little extra room for the vines to sprawl over and also prevents water from pooling around the main stem.

For those of us in arid climates, I recommend a shallow “crater” rather than a hill to conserve moisture.

To create such a crater, dig a hole about two to three feet across and six inches deep. Take the soil you remove and mound it around the rim.

The depth of these “craters” will help to prevent water from evaporating, and the higher rims will provide your vines with a little extra room to meander down.

A good rule of thumb is to create your mounds or craters about three to six feet apart in rows that are six to 18 feet apart.

These measurements are flexible – just be aware that the vines can easily reach 10 feet in length, and plan accordingly.

In humid climates you may want to opt for the more generous spacing, to help with air circulation and reduce the risk of disease.

Smaller varieties can be planted closer together. Check the spread of your chosen cultivar on your seed packet.

Fertilizer

Once you have prepared your melon patch and before planting, add some fertilizer to your soil.

Before deciding on what type of fertilizer to use and how much, it’s best to refer to the results of your soil test.

These results will alert you to any nutrient deficiencies and provide recommendations for the appropriate type and amount of fertilizer to use for your particular garden soil.

Care and Maintenance

While your watermelons grow, there are a few ways you’ll need to care for them to ensure the best possible harvest.

Watering

Water is key for the growth and development of watermelon plants, so you’ll want to make sure you provide your plants with enough water – but not too much.

While seeds are germinating and when seedlings are young, in my arid climate, I like to make sure to water every day if the soil has dried about.

I stick my finger in the soil about an inch deep to test it. If it’s dry, I give the plants a drink.

Once plants are established, water deeply and consistently, but less frequently – these plants require one to two inches of water a week, so you may not need to irrigate on weeks when you get rain.

As fruits ripen, even watering is important, to prevent fruits from cracking. Since watermelons hold so much water, they can split or crack while ripening if watering is erratic.

Some varieties are resistant to cracking, such as ‘Sugar Baby,’ ‘Mini Love,’ and ‘Gold in Gold.’

When the fruit are a week or so from maturity – you’ll be able to calculate this based on your planting date and the variety’s average number of days to maturity – withhold water to ensure that your fruits are as sweet as possible.

A little less water will create more concentrated sugars in your melons.

And one more thing to remember when you irrigate: try to water at ground level to avoid splashing water on the foliage, which can spread disease.

Mulch

So that all your careful watering doesn’t go to waste, mulch around your plants to prevent the soil from drying out and to keep weeds down.

If weeds do pop up around your seedlings, remove them, but take care not to disturb the seedlings’ roots.

Another advantage of mulching is that when placed under ripening fruits, mulch will help prevent the fruits from rotting.

You can also use mulch to control the temperature around your plants.

As mentioned, watermelons are warm season plants, and they grow best in hot weather.

Once seeds sprout, plants prefer temperatures ranging from 70-90°F during the day and 60-70°F at night.

So if temperatures in your area are hotter than that, try using straw mulch under your plants to keep the soil cool.

The light color will stay cooler than darker colored mulch.

And if your temperatures are on the cooler side? Instead of straw, use a dark colored mulch.

I use dark compost as a mulch in my high-altitude location where the nights are cool. The dark mulch absorbs heat during the day and releases it at night, keeping the soil warmer.

Growing Tips

• Plant with plenty of room for long vines to sprawl.
• Provide a full sun location.
• Make sure plants receive one to two inches of water per week.

Managing Pests and Disease

Once you’ve selected your varieties, planted your seeds, and are patiently waiting to harvest your crop, you’ll need to be on the lookout for damage caused by pests and disease.

This part of gardening is part and parcel of the process – and can even be quite satisfying once you’ve gained a bit of experience with it.

Make sure to practice integrated pest management, a method that takes a longer-term approach to the health of your garden.

Herbivores

It seems everyone’s a fan of watermelons – and that includes some of our neighboring wildlife.

Deer are fond of this fruit and will wreck your ripening crop if you haven’t deer-proofed your garden.

To keep these four-legged friends out of your melon patch, fencing is key.

Check out our article on the best deer fencing to learn more.

Perhaps surprisingly, coyotes also love this tasty and refreshing backyard fruit.

Fencing is a good strategy to keep coyotes out of your garden, but you will require a slightly different style than what you would use for deer.

Russel Link, wildlife biologist with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, explains that coyotes don’t jump over tall fences in a single bound. Instead, they climb them.

To prevent coyotes from getting into your garden, you’ll need to build a fence they can’t climb over – or dig under.

Link recommends starting with five-foot-tall fencing. Then he suggests adding outward-tilting 15-inch extenders to the top of the fence to prevent the canines from climbing over.

And to prevent them from digging under, extend the fence underground about eight inches, using wire mesh.

Alternatively, create an “apron” on the ground that extends 15 inches on the outside of the fence.

Insects

For many gardeners, insects may be more problematic than the furry, four-legged type of garden pest.

To prevent damage, it’s helpful to know which types of insects plague your garden, what they look like, and how to prevent them from destroying your crop.

Keeping insects under control is important not only because these pests can chew up your plants, but because they can also spread disease.

Melon aphids and spider mites can colonize leaf undersides and leaf tips, interfering with photosynthesis. If you notice either of these on your plants, remove them with a strong jet of water from your hose.

Another pest to be on the lookout for is the striped cucumber beetle. Prevent damage from these cucurbit pests by using floating row covers up until flowering – and with regular inspection of your plants.

If you notice pests, pick them off and destroy them.

Learn more about these and other insects that can bug your crops in our article on watermelon pests. (coming soon!)

Disease

Just like other garden plants, watermelons too can succumb to disease from time to time.

Prevention is your best line of defense. Here are some good preventive measures to take:

• Make sure to source your seeds or plants from reputable vendors. Unwitting seed savers may accidentally pass on disease from infected plants.
• Rotate your plants by crop families. Watermelons are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, along with cucumbers, squash, and other melons. Wait three years before planting from the same family in the same spot in your garden.
• Splashing water can spread disease, so irrigate at the base of plants with a watering wand or drip irrigation – don’t use a sprinkler!
• Avoid handling plants when they are wet, since this is an easy way to spread disease from plant to plant.
• To prevent disease from harboring in your soil, never compost or till under infected plants.

Now that you’ve familiarized yourself with these effective strategies for watermelon disease prevention, keep an eye out for brown lesions and holes in plant leaves, a sign of anthracnose.

If you notice vine tips wilting, fusarium wilt may be the culprit. There are resistant varieties to each of these fungal diseases, and starting off with these will give your plants an advantage over other cultivars.

Also be on the lookout for blossom-end rot, a nutrient deficiency which also affects tomatoes.

Learn more about these and other common problems in our guide to fighting watermelon disease. (coming soon!)

Harvesting

It’s important to wait until your watermelons are fully ripe before you pick them. This is one fruit, unlike apricots or avocados, that will not continue to ripen after harvest.

However, watermelons can go from unripe to spoiled in just a few days, so be vigilant about checking them as they approach maturity.

When you see the fruit starting to grow large, it’s time to check daily for ripeness.

When you plant your seeds, it’s a good idea to count ahead the number of days to maturity and mark this date on your calendar or in your gardening journal.

That way, when your fruit is approaching full ripeness, you can start keeping an eye on it and will soon be ready to indulge in a sweet, juicy slice of watermelon.

If the fruit has separated from the vine, or the vine is dead, go ahead and pick the fruit. It won’t ripen any further once it’s off the vine.

If the fruit is still attached to the vine, and the vine is alive, there are several different tricks you can use to decide whether a watermelon is ripe or not.

You may want to try out each – or all – of these methods and decide what seems to work best for you:

• Look for the curly tendril closest to the stem where the melon is attached. If it’s brown and dry, the melon is ripe.
• The leaf closest to that tendril should also be yellow or turning brown.
• Check the underside of the melon, which turns from light green or white to cream colored or yellow when ripe.
• Wait for the skin of your melon to turn from shiny to dull.
• The blossom end of the melon will soften when ripe.

What? No thumping?

“Thumping” is also a common way to judge whether a watermelon is ripe, but unfortunately this method is unreliable.

A dull thud is supposed to indicate that the fruit is ripe, but it’s not the case with all varieties.

In the case of some cultivars, a dull thud can even indicate that the fruit is overripe.

Another questionable testing method is the fingernail test, in which you scratch the rind with a fingernail to determine whether the fruit is ripe.

The problem with this method is that any damage to the rind serves as a channel for bacteria to enter, which can speed up the rotting process.

If you scratch your melon and decide it’s not ripe, you’re opening the fruit up to the possibility of disease.

To harvest a ripe watermelon, use a sharp knife to cut the fruit off of the vine, leaving a two-inch-long piece of stem on the fruit.

You may have other melons continuing to ripen on that same vine, so be gentle as you cut.

Once the fruit is removed from the vine, handle it gently to avoid bruising or damage to the rind.

Find more tips on determining watermelon ripeness here.

Storage

After you have picked your melons, check to see if any have split or cracked during harvest – if so, these fruits should be used immediately.

Intact fruits can handle some storage. Freshly harvested melons will last seven to ten days when stored indoors at room temperature in the 68-72°F range.

According to Jim Shrefler and colleagues at the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension, watermelons can actually improve in flavor and color when kept at room temperature for up to a week.

Watermelons will keep for two to three weeks in a location with a temperature of 52-60°F and 85-90 percent relative humidity. This could be your basement or root cellar.

What about the refrigerator? Chilling injury can take place when the fruit is stored at temperatures below 50°F.

Once the fruit has been cut, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to five days in an airtight container.

Of course, you may prefer to eat your melon as soon as you harvest it.

Some people prefer it fresh from the garden, while others (this writer included) enjoy it more after it has been chilled in the fridge.

However you prefer your melon, just make sure you thoroughly clean the rind before slicing it open, since bacteria such as E. coli can be transferred from unwashed rinds to the flesh when it’s sliced.

Preserving

There are several ways to preserve this wonderful summer fruit so that you can enjoy it even in the depths of winter.

Drying

Drying or dehydrating is one way to save this fruit for later enjoyment.

Dried watermelon isn’t exactly commonplace in North America, but perhaps it’s ready to become the next big thing.

This dried treat is also called “watermelon jerky,” which should give you an idea of its leathery texture.

Drying fruit results in a more concentrated package of sugars and flavor, and watermelon is no different.

If you are using a dehydrator, refer to the manufacturer’s recommendations on how long to dry the fruit.

For watermelon, cutting it into 1/2-inch-thick slices and drying for around 20 hours at 135°F is a good rule of thumb.

If you’d like to learn more about the process in greater detail, check out this guide to dehydrating fruits and veggies on our sister site, Foodal.

In Asia, watermelon seeds are eaten much like sunflower seeds.

You can try making your own savory seeds for a healthy snack. Prepare them like you would pumpkin seeds – you can learn how to do it on Foodal.

Freezing

If you prefer your watermelon fresh but have a bumper crop that you can’t eat all at once, you can freeze some of it.

You can learn about the best techniques for freezing fruit on our sister site, Foodal.

Freezing does change the texture a bit, so it’s best used where the flavor can shine but the texture no longer matters, such as in smoothies or slushies.

Or instead of freezing it in chunks, you could work some culinary magic on it first. Doesn’t watermelon sorbet sound delicious?

You can learn how to make sorbet out of any type of fruit on Foodal.

Canning

Watermelon can be canned in the form of pickles, jam, juice, or wine.

Since this fruit is a low-acid food, you’ll need to pickle it if you want to can it with a hot water bath, or use a pressure canner for non-acidic preparations.

Ready to be guided through the canning process? There’s a complete guide to canning foods at home also on Foodal.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

Watermelon is so good to eat by the slice that many of us probably don’t think about adding it as an ingredient to our meals.

But if your thumbs are both bright green and you end up with a giant crop of homegrown watermelons, you might be open to some new ideas.

Here’s a thought – try using it as a salad ingredient. Personally, I love how the flavor of watermelon mixes with feta cheese and fresh mint leaves.

Watermelon provides flavor and texture in fruit salads, but to shake things up a bit, how about using a cookie cutter to cut shapes out of watermelon slices instead of going with standard chunks or balls?

And while star-shaped watermelon pieces might thrill the kids (or your inner child), how about something for the adults?

This delicious recipe for watermelon daiquiris over at Foodal mixes light rum with sweet, frozen watermelon and fresh squeezed lime juice for a drink that is doubly refreshing.

Or leave the rum out and make virgin daiquiris instead.

Aside from being beautiful shrubs for the landscape, species of Indigofera can yield indigo dye, a substance that has colored fabrics a deep blue for thousands of years, leaving a significant mark on human history.

Want to spawn these gorgeous spreading shrubs? Trying to keep the blue in your jeans post-TEOTWAWKI? Then it pays to be able to propagate an indigo plant from seed.

With this guide, knowing how to do so is a sure thing. And given the inherent genetic variability of indigo plants, who knows? You could even end up with a new variety!

Here’s the itinerary:

Seed Acquisition

“But where can I get seeds?” I’m glad you asked.

You can purchase dried seeds from a variety of online vendors, or gather them yourself. If you go with the latter, make sure you either own the parent plant, or have permission to access and gather seeds from it!

After the blooms of an indigo plant emerge, they’ll give way to bunches of leguminous seed pods. When these pods are brown and dry, they’re ripe for the plucking.

Spread out your harvested pods onto a drying screen, and leave them out in a well-ventilated spot indoors. Two weeks later, crack open the pods. Boom: dry, ready-to-go indigo seeds!

Sowing

Before you go and get ready to sow, there are some things that you simply must know.

If done properly, soaking seeds can increase their odds of germination. To do so, fill a large glass or bowl with warm, near-boiling water, and leave the seeds submerged in the liquid for 12 hours.

One sweet feature of this process is that it actually doubles as the “float test” – an easy way to check for viability.

After the soaking period, the viable seeds will remain at the bottom of the bowl or glass, while the non-viable ones will float to the water’s surface. Keep the sunken winners, and pitch the floating duds.

Alternatively, you could simply nick the seed coat of each rather than soaking, which will aid water absorption.

Opposite the seed’s eye or hilum, make a small, shallow cut with a sharp and sterile blade. As soon as you’ve just broken through the seed coat to the underlying endosperm, consider it nicked.

Blade-wise, you could use a knife, a razor, or even the edge of a set of nail clippers. Alternatively, a file or fresh sandpaper can be utilized for scratching, rather than cutting the coat.

Next, gather a three-inch container for each indigo plant you intend to grow.

Repot your growing baby indigo plants whenever they start to become crowded in their containers. It can also be helpful to give the pots a quarter turn each day, so your plants don’t grow all lopsided.

Once the seedlings have developed a set or two of true leaves, it’ll be time to harden them off.

After the final frost date in spring, on a day that’s free of inclement weather, leave the containers outside for 30 to 60 minutes prior to bringing them back inside.

Each following day, leave the containers outside for an additional half to full hour before bringing them indoors.

Keep this up, and there will come a point where your baby indigo plants are good to stay outside indefinitely. Hardening off typically takes about a week. At this point, transplanting can begin!

Transplanting

In your garden, prepare a moderately fertile patch of well-draining, slightly alkaline soil for each indigo plant you intend to transplant.

Space these transplant sites far enough apart to at least accommodate their mature width.

Dig a hole per transplant in each of their respective sites, making each hole large enough to accommodate the root system.

When removing the indigo plants from their containers and lowering them into the holes, be gentle – their roots are sensitive.

If you’re able, inverting the container – while keeping your hand around the transplant’s crown for security – lets gravity do most of the work, rather than your potentially-damaging fingers.

If you don’t trust yourself to gently remove an Indigofera from its pot prior to transplanting, biodegradable containers like the ones made from coir or pressed paper can actually be planted straight into the ground, without having to remove the transplant within. It’s definitely worth keeping in mind from the get-go!

Once they’re in the holes, backfill with soil, deeply water them in, and keep the soil around their root zones moist until established.

Like other thymes, Thymus citriodorus requires full sun conditions and is easily grown in average, dry, well-draining soils.

Growing to about six to 12 inches tall by 12 to 18 inches wide, the compact, aromatic nature of lemon thyme enables it to serve as a nice border plant along your garden beds or edging a path.

It can tolerate some light foot traffic and will release gentle wafts of citrus into the air if stepped upon. Fun fact: this fragrance actually acts as a defense mechanism to deter herbivores from gnawing away at the leaves.

Nevertheless, humans are undeterred and actively seek out such fragrant plants for our enjoyment and to fulfill our culinary desires. Hmm… are we the ones cultivating lemon thyme, or is this aromatic plant perhaps cultivating us?

Thanks to a small root system, it may also become established easily in a rock garden or retaining wall. Wow, what a plant!

Keep reading to learn how to sow and grow this herbal queen in your own garden.

Cultivation and History

T. citriodorus is a perennial herb easily grown outdoors in USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 9.

For many years, lemon thyme was thought to be some kind of hybrid plant in the Thymus genus, but recent DNA studies have proven that indeed, our dear friend T. citriodorus is its own plant species.

Both chefs and herbal medicine makers are drawn to the sharp scents of citrus tinged with the earthy herbal essence of thyme.

The leaves can be incorporated into various soups, salads, and sautees, both as a fresh or dried flavoring herb, and accentuate the natural flavor profiles of fish and meat dishes in particular.

With a sharp, lemony fragrance, the plant is often included in perfumes, skincare products, and cosmetics, and can also be utilized in homemade insect repellent and essential oil aromatherapy.

Propagation 

Plant T. citriodorus in the spring. Though plants are most easily acquired from your local nursery as young starts, you can also choose to propagate from seed, or from a friend’s plant through root divisions.

From Seed

Thyme seeds can be slow to germinate and gardeners typically choose to propagate from cuttings or divisions instead. However, if you so choose to sow, here’s what to do.

Sow seeds indoors in early spring or directly outdoors after all danger of frost has passed. In either case, broadcast the seeds on top of the soil, gently pressing each seed no further than 1/16 of an inch into the earth.

The trickiest thing with sowing seeds is to ensure that the soil stays consistently moist, but not waterlogged. Gently water the pots or sowed area on a daily basis to ensure success. Transplant as described below.

From Cuttings

You can take stem cuttings from established plants in early spring, when new growth is evident.

Cut a three- to four-inch length of stem, and remove the leaves from the lower half. Prepare a small container filled with a well-draining potting medium.

You can use powdered rooting hormone, if you have some to hand, though it’s not strictly necessary.

Make a hole in the potting medium with a pencil or your finger, and place the cutting one and a half to two inches deep. Water deeply.

Keep the cutting in a sheltered location, out of direct sunlight, and maintain even moisture in the potting medium. You may cover it with a humidity dome or a plastic bag to maintain a moist environment.

It should start to root after four to six weeks, evidenced by new leaf growth. Transplant out into the garden as described below.

From Divisions

After your thyme plant has become established and matured for a few years, it is ready to be propagated by root division. Divide either in the spring or in the fall.

First, dig up the whole root ball of the plant. Gently shake out the excess soil to expose the roots. Then break the plant into three or four sections, teasing out the tangles in the roots as gently as possible.

Once the plant is divided, replant one section into its original home and transplant the other sections into new parts of the garden, or grow them first in pots to allow roots to reestablish.

Water two to three times a week in order to help the plant readjust.

From Seedlings/Transplanting

Plant T. citriodorus either as seedlings, division transplants, or starts from the nursery.

Dig a hole the same depth but twice as wide as the container, place the seedling in the hole, and gently backfill the soil.

Be sure to give the plants a good, deep watering and lots of love to welcome them into the space.

What qualifies as love for this tasty herb? More on that in the next section!

How to Grow

Locate a site in your garden that receives full sun, more than five hours of sunlight per day.

Make sure the soil drains well – thyme plants enjoy a variety of poor, rocky, nutrient deficient soils, so long as their roots don’t get waterlogged.

After planting, water deeply two or three times per week, or when the soil is dry an inch or two deep, to help establish their roots.

After a few weeks of this you can begin to ease up on watering until you’re watering once a week, then once every other week, then just once in a while.

Alternatively, you can grow T. citriodorus in a container. Select a pot six to 12 inches inches in diameter. Make sure to check the container has adequate drainage holes.

Keep in mind that T. citriodorus has relatively compact roots and the pot does not need to be as deep as it is wide.

Plant in well draining potting soil and amend with sand, vermiculite, or perlite if necessary.

Container plantings typically require more regular watering than plants in the ground, usually two to three times per week even after they’re mature.

Before watering, double check that the soil is dry to an inch or so deep to avoid root rot caused by oversaturation.

No need to fertilize these little buddies! Once established, they will hold their own.

Growing Tips

• Plant in well-draining soil. 
• Provide a full sun location.
• Allow soil to dry out to an inch or two deep between waterings.

Pruning and Maintenance

Once established, T. citriodorus is a pretty low maintenance herb.

After the plant finishes blooming, you can deadhead to encourage new growth and/or shape the plant as you like. Otherwise, you can elect to take a more hands-off approach and let the plant grow as it pleases.

In Zones 4 to 6, apply a two to three inch layer of mulch at the beginning of winter to protect the plant’s roots from cold soil temperatures. T. citriodorus is a robust herb that may lose some leaves but will typically survive harsh winters.

After a few years, you’ll start to notice the stems at the base of the plant getting progressively woodier. At this time, you can choose to divide and replant sections, or you can prune the plant to encourage new growth closer to the base.

Cultivars to Select

For example, ‘Aureus’ has a mounding form while ‘Golden Dwarf’ hugs the ground.

‘Archer’s Gold’ and ‘Golden Lemon’ provide lavender-hued flowers while ‘Golden Queen’ offers pink blooms.

‘Lime’ provides a similar citrus flavor with more hints of lime rather than lemon.

While the essence of the plant remains consistent across cultivar boundaries, these subtle differences create distinctions between varieties.

Managing Pests and Disease

There’s no need to be too concerned with pests or disease when you are growing lemon thyme.

There may be minor issues with aphids or spider mites, as with so many other plants in the garden, and only if planted in poor-draining soil or if overwatered will you encounter fungal diseases.

Insects

In my garden, thyme is one of the most resilient of plant friends. Although other gardeners have reported aphids or spider mites as being a potential threat, never have I ever seen pests bothering these dudes.

Aphids

A classic garden nuisance, aphids will quite literally suck the life juice out of plants, often spreading disease through their saliva. These tiny light green bugs are found on the undersides or tips of leaves. Key giveaways include leaf curling, color disfiguration, and brittleness.

If dealing with a case of the aphids, start by giving the plant a hard spray down with the hose, focusing on the areas directly affected. This mechanically pushes the aphids off the plant. I choose to use the “flat” setting on my hose nozzle for this task.

If you’re dealing with a more significant infestation and looking for a more intense level of treatment, first spray down the plants with water, then follow with a heavy spritz of alcoholic soapy water. To make your own, combine one cup of rubbing alcohol, one quart of water, and one to two teaspoons of dish soap in a spray bottle.

A hard spritz of this mixture kills the aphids while leaving the plant unharmed – just be sure to wash off the soapy water a few moments after application to avoid burning the leaves. Monitor aphid activity closely, and repeat weekly until they are gone.

Read more about battling aphids in your garden here.

Spider Mites

Similarly to aphids, spider mites will feast off the plant’s vitality, rendering it weak and brittle. And again, they do not typically pose a serious threat to T. citriodorus.

These small spider-like mites can be difficult to spot, but you’ll notice the presence of their fine webs, which cover the leaves and stems of plants.

Spider mite infestations can be treated in the same way as aphids, with hard spray downs and soapy water treatments.

Learn more about how to deal with spider mites in our guide.

Disease

Perhaps more likely to threaten your lemon thyme plant is some type of fungal disease, the most common being botrytis rot (caused by Botrytis cinerea), root rot (via Rhizoctonia solani), and Alternaria blight (from Alternaria brassicola).

Fungal activity typically occurs under warm, humid conditions. Be sure to plant your T. citriodorus in well draining soil, and allow soil to dry out before watering again to avoid oversaturation.

If affected by rot or blight, first mechanically remove all infected areas on the plant. Disinfect any equipment before and after pruning to avoid spreading disease from plant to plant.

You can also increase airflow by pruning or staking the plant into an upright position. And mulching underneath the plants will prevent fungal spores in the soil from splashing onto the leaves.

Harvesting

One of the great joys of growing your own food and medicine is being able to harvest and utilize the gifts of the plants you’ve tended.

Though any time of the day is fine, harvesting in the morning just after the dew has dried is best, to minimize wilting.

That being said, I typically find I’m the most inspired while I’m in the middle of cooking and tend to run out to gather a few sprigs just after the sun has gone down.

Similarly, while you can harvest throughout the year as needed, the flavor of the leaves is supposedly most potent just before flowers open.

Harvest by snipping a few inches down the stem of the plant, just above a node of new growth.

Preserving 

To maximize your harvest and extend the shelf life of fresh leaves, you can elect to wrap clusters of thyme sprigs in a damp paper towel and store them in a zip-top bag in the fridge. This allows you to conveniently cook with fresh thyme at any time.

You can also dry and jar T. citriodorus to keep a steady supply on hand. A few techniques include hang drying, oven drying, and dehydrating in a specialized machine. Give these a try:

Hang Drying

The simplest method, it involves bundling fresh sprigs of thyme with twine or a rubber band.

Hang the bunches from a nail on the wall or a hook in a warm, dark place and allow leaves to completely dry, for about one to two weeks. Some people choose to hang the herbs in a paper bag to prevent dust from settling.

When fully dry, run your fingers down the stem of each sprig to remove the leaves. Store them in a mason jar or other airtight container for regular use.

Oven Drying

A bit quicker, this can be done within a few hours. On a baking sheet, layer sprigs in between parchment paper and bake at 100°F for two to four hours. Once leaves are dry and crumble easily, remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan.

After the sprigs have fully cooled to room temperature, remove the leaves from the stems by hand and store in an airtight container.

Dehydrating

The quickest drying method calls for a food dehydrator. You can read about some of the top recommended models on our sister site, Foodal.

Place sprigs on the dehydrator tray and set the temperature to 100°F. Dehydrate for one to two hours until the leaves are completely dry. Strip and store.

Dried thyme can be stored in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place like your spice cabinet.

Read our full guide to drying herbs or find more info on preserving fresh herbs on our sister site, Foodal.

Cooking Tips

An excellent companion in the kitchen, the leaves add layers of flavor to a variety of dishes, including sauces, salads, soups, seafood, and poultry.

The subtle zest of lemon mixed with the herbal taste of thyme brings out the natural flavors in fish and meat, but cooked too long, the herb loses its seasoning essence.

Fresh thyme is a great addition to vegetable and seafood sautees and can also be used in a seasoning rub. I often incorporate a few sprigs when making hummus or an herb-y sauce.

Leaves can be used fresh or dried, in any recipe where you would typically incorporate the standard variety. If you are slow cooking a stew or making something else that will be on the stove for a while, wait until just before serving to add a few pinches of crushed fresh or dried leaves.

The deserts and mountains of the West seem to get all the attention, but between the deserts and mountains is a vast landscape that most people just drive through on their way to somewhere else. The sagebrush steppe is a dry, grassy plain that takes up much of Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, Oregon, and Washington. It is one of the few true steppe regions in the world, and its native flora has a beauty all its own. The climate is characterized by hot summers, cold and dry winters, abundant sun, and erratic precipitation. Anyone who lives in Twin Falls, Idaho, or Moab, Utah, will know exactly what I mean.

Gardening here can be a challenge, but there are plenty of plants—native and otherwise—that find this climate to be exactly what they need to flourish. Many flowering natives provide year-round interest with spring and summer color and unique winter textures. Plenty of traditional garden favorites also thrive as long-lived anchors in this demanding landscape. All will appreciate full sun and well-draining soil. Here are some favorites.

Penstemons

There is a large diversity of native penstemons in the Mountain West. For the sagebrush steppe, it’s hard to beat Palmer’s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri, Zones 4–10), with its soaring spires of grape-scented flowers, and firecracker penstemon (Penstemon eatonii, Zones 4-8), with its early-season fire-engine-red flowers that are an early feast for hummingbirds. Bridges’ penstemon (Penstemon rostriflorus, Zones 4b-8) is another great pick that has a low, shrubby form and flowers all summer. There are dozens more penstemons that are all worth growing.

Foxtail lilies

Eremurus spp. and cvs., Zones 5–9

Foxtail lilies hail from the Himalayas, but they are right at home in semi-arid western gardens. Leaves emerge in spring after winter’s moisture, followed by soaring spires of compact blooms that are adored by bees. When summer heat sets in, the plants retreat, leaves and all, to fleshy octopus-shaped roots, awaiting next spring’s moisture and sunshine. ‘Romance’ foxtail lily (Eremurus ‘Romance’, Zones 5–9) is particularly lovely with its salmon-colored blooms.

Buckwheats

Eriogonum spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9

Wild buckwheats reach their greatest diversity in the Intermountain West, so there are plenty to choose from. Two of my favorites are Wright’s buckwheat (Eriogonum wrightii var. wrightii, Zones 4–9), which has fluffy mounds of white flowers, and Kannah Creek^® sulphur buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum var. aureum ‘Psdowns’, Zones 3–8), which has long-lasting lemon-yellow flowers.

Rubber rabbitbrush

Ericameria nauseosa, Zones 4–9

Rubber rabbitbrush grows abundantly along roadsides throughout the arid West, with several hard-to-distinguish varieties available. Nearly all will form golden domes in late summer and fall, especially along roadsides, where they guide your way through canyon country and beyond. Late-season pollinators will feast on their nectar until the display fades in mid-autumn.

Apache plume

Fallugia paradoxa, Zones 4–9

It’s easy to understand why Apache plume is in the rose family, with its crisp, white, five-petaled blooms. This shrub can reach 4 feet tall and 6 feet wide and makes a good foundation plant, especially as flowers morph into fuzzy pink seed heads that glow when backlit by evening sun.

This is only a starter list, and you could well add dozens more for a truly durable, water-wise, and colorful sagebrush country garden. For more tough, colorful flowers for the Mountain West, check out:

And for more Mountain West regional reports, click here.

 

—Dan Johnson lives and gardens in Denver and in Tucson, Arizona. He is an associate director of horticulture for the Denver Botanic Gardens.

Photos, unless otherwise noted: Dan Johnson

Invasive plants are nonnative introductions that have the ability to germinate, establish, thrive, reproduce, and spread to other areas without any help from humans. They’re the tough, rugged trespassers that take over natural wetlands, wildlands, rangelands, and pastures. They compete (and frequently win) against native plants in the battle for resources such as light, water, and nutrients. Invasive plants can cause trouble in a myriad of ways. They can affect soil fertility or smother the soil, blocking the germination and growth of native species, thus disrupting natural ecosystems by crowding out natural forage (e.g., nectar, foliage, seeds) for the indigenous insect population. This of course affects their numbers and diversity, which in turn impacts the birds, amphibians, mammals, and reptiles who depend upon them. Economically, invasive plants can hurt crop production and cause significant damage to rangeland and pastures, occasionally even poisoning the unfortunate cow that might find itself chewing on the wrong plant.

Invasive plants are usually free of natural pests, making them far more problematic than your typical, easily-removed weed, with the severity of the impact dependent upon the plant species itself and the particular area it’s invading.

Many NorCal invasives were originally imported for a purpose

Invasive plants often arrived innocently but took hold in California’s benign climate. For example, the lofty, white-flowering Tasmanian blue gum (Eucalyptus globulus, Zones 9–11) was introduced to California during the Gold Rush to quickly provide shade and shelter, firewood, and windbreaks. Tough, drought tolerant, and pest resistant, this now widespread aromatic giant drops so many of its thick, leathery leaves that the accumulated essential oil-infused leaf litter suppresses all possibilities of the growth and survival of more-desirable plant species.

The seeds of one of NorCal’s most invasive plants—the yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis, annual)—accidentally arrived in imported animal fodder, and it has caused enormous changes to the nature of pastures and rangelands all across the region. It has reduced animal forage quantity and quality, and has punctured many a bicycle tire and shoe sole at the same time.

Highway iceplant (Carpobrotus edulis, Zones 7–10), which is also known as hottentot fig, was introduced in the 1960s for erosion control and for its attractive blooms. Its rugged drought resistance allows it to spread easily both by seeds and vegetatively. Basically this plant can thrive everywhere, including highway medians, grasslands, coastal scrubland, sand dunes, and beaches. This low-growing succulent creates tight, dense foliage mats that result in increased soil organic matter, which ultimately allows nonnative species to take root and crowd out indigenous plants. It is extremely difficult to control.

Other invasive plants can be traced back to the nursery trade

Unfortunately, many of the qualities that make a plant a successful landscape ornamental are the exact qualities that can lead to invasiveness in a natural setting. To its collective embarrassment, the horticulture industry has released many plants that began as low-maintenance, easy-to-grow, fast-spreading, floriferous beauties but that have subsequently become invasive pests. Of the species listed on the California Invasive Plant Council Inventory, over 45% were introduced as ornamentals. This list includes:

• Myoporum (Myoporum laetum, Zones 9–11)
• Periwinkle (Vinca major, Zones 4–9)
• Pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana, Zones 8–10)
• Green fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum, Zones 8–11)
• Portuguese broom (Cytisus striatus, Zones 6–10)
• Giant reed (Arundo donax, Zones 6–10)

Though the above-listed nuisances are seldom found in California nurseries these days, almost any plant can be brought in from elsewhere via internet or print catalogs, so be sure to shop locally whenever possible and to educate yourself about the nature of any plant before considering bringing it in from out of state. Be cautious of plants that thrive without a gardener’s help! Know what is invasive in your particular area, and avoid it.

A plant that is invasive in one region may not be considered invasive in another

Don’t panic if any of the plants in this article are already growing in your garden. Each plant’s invasive potential can be quite specific to each region. In fact, a small number of California natives have been known to cause problems if grown outside of their specific natural environment. Plants currently still available in garden centers but are on the watch list for potential invasiveness in certain parts of Northern California include:

• Santa Barbara daisy (Erigeron karvinskianus, Zones 6–9)
• Calla lily (Zantedeschia aethiopica, Zones 8–10)
• Mexican feather grass (Stipa tenuissima, Zones 7–11)
• Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare, Zones 4–9)
• Algerian ivy (Hedera canariensis, Zones 7–9)
• English ivy (Hedera helix, Zones 4–9)
• Butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii, Zones 5–9)
• Silver wattle (Acacea dealbata, Zones 9–11)

Again, knowledge is crucial. There are a number of helpful resources if you’d like to learn more, starting with the UC Agriculture and Natural Resources website and The Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health website. Your local garden center or nursery should also be able to direct you to plants currently known to be safe for your area.

 

—Fionuala Campion is the owner and manager of Cottage Gardens of Petaluma in Petaluma, California.

Photos: Fionuala Campion

D. purpurea is suited to cultivation as a biennial in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9, and as an annual in all temperate zones. It grows as a short-lived perennial wildflower in coastal regions of the Pacific Northwest.

Let’s meet common foxglove!

Cultivation and History

In 1755, English doctor William Withering used a folk remedy to treat a patient with a heart problem.

As the story goes, he obtained the remedy it from an elderly herbalist, one of many who had been using a concoction containing D. purpurea for years to treat wounds and dropsy – the swelling of the hands and feet that we now know is characteristic of certain heart conditions.

The doctor continued to experiment with foxglove leaf extracts, and by 1785 had introduced a treatment that eased angina heart pain.

At the same time, in Ireland, the anti-inflammatory properties of D. purpurea were also being studied.

In 1790, Charles William Quin, Physician General to His Majesty’s Army in Ireland, published “A Treatise on Dropsy of the Brain Illustrated by a Variety of Cases.”

The plant’s use as an anti-inflammatory heart medication evolved, and today we have a thriving commercial cultivation of D. purpurea for use in making digitalis, a drug prescribed to treat congestive heart failure and atrial arrhythmias. It works by increasing blood flow and decreasing hand and ankle swelling.

Many folks grow it simply for the statuesque beauty of its tall stalks, laden with large, intricately-detailed blossoms favored by nectar-seeking pollinators.

You may have thought foxglove was a perennial. That’s because it’s a prolific self-sower.

It is in fact a biennial. That means that in the first year, it grows a tight clump of lance-shaped leaves with shallowly scalloped margins at its base. This is called a rosette.

In the second year, the flower stalk rises from the rosette, followed by budding, blooming, and seed dispersal.

The exceptions to the second-year bloom are hybrids such as ‘Camelot’ and ‘Foxy’ that bloom in the first year and grow as annuals. However, since they self-sow, they still give the impression of being perennials.

Mature heights range from 18 to 60 inches, with a spread of 12 to 18 inches. Foxglove stems are very sturdy, and prized by many a floral designer.

The flowers are two to three inches long and hang downward like bells, attracting bees and hummingbirds that love to dive into their sweet depths.

Blossoms open from the bottom to the top of the flower stalk.

Ideal growing conditions include a location with part shade. Plants thrive in heat and humidity, provided they receive moderate moisture and are not overcrowded.

I have had good luck with them here in muggy southeastern Pennsylvania.

Bloom time ranges from early spring to first frost. As biennials, plants winter over in the first year before they bloom and set seed the second year.

Good drainage is essential, as roots are prone to rotting in saturated winter soil.

Propagation

You may start from seed or purchase nursery plants.

Seeds yield variable results, because seeds from hybrids do not replicate the traits of parent plants, and may even be sterile.

Nursery plants provide more certainty as to what you are going to get, with knowable characteristics.

From Seed

To propagate foxgloves this way, you’ll need to purchase seeds or collect them from a friend’s plant. Learn how to save foxglove seeds for next year here.

You can direct sow seeds in the garden after the danger of spring frost has passed.

Moisten the soil and sprinkle several seeds every 12 to 18 inches. Do not cover, as they need light to germinate.

Maintain even moisture for the next two to three weeks while seeds germinate.

When seedlings have two or more sets of true leaves, thin them out to a distance of 12 to 18 inches to accommodate mature dimensions.

Proper spacing promotes good air circulation and inhibits fungal disease.

Alternatively, start seeds indoors six weeks before the last average spring frost date and transplant them to the garden after all danger of frost has passed.

Before you plant out, acclimate seeds started indoors to the outdoors.

To do this, set them outside in a sheltered, partially shaded place for a few hours each day for four or five days.

Take care not to overwater them to avoid damping off, a fungal disease that thrives in cool, wet environments and kills seedlings.

Transplant the seedlings to the garden at 12- to 18-inch intervals. Keep the soil level of the seedling container even with the ground soil level to minimize transplant stress.

Tamp the soil gently around the seedlings and water them in well.

You may also direct sow seeds in late summer, at the same time they would naturally disperse.

From Nursery Starts or Transplants

Transplant from nursery pots to the garden after the last average spring frost date has passed.

If your nursery sells plants in late summer to early fall, you can also plant them out then.

To transplant, carefully work the plants out of their containers.

Set them into the soil so that the surface of the pot soil is even with the ground soil surface, for a smooth transition. Maintain spacing of 12 to 18 inches between plants.

Tamp the soil down around the plants and water in well.

Keep in mind that some cultivated varieties behave as annuals and bloom in the first year, while others are biennial or short-lived perennials that bloom the second year after experiencing a winter chill.

In addition, note that plants may cross-pollinate in the garden, causing color dominance or variations in the next generation.

Additionally, sometimes plants that bloom in the first year may bloom again in the second, so you may want to keep the plants in place at season’s end.

How to Grow

When you have either seeds or plants in hand, you’re ready to find them a home and get growing.

Select a location that gets morning sun and afternoon shade, particularly if you’re in a region with hot summer afternoons. In cooler regions, you may be able to plant in full sun.

The soil should be organically rich and well-draining. Mix in some sand or leaf mulch to loosen dense soil, and create a loamy consistency.

Work the garden soil to a depth of six to 12 inches.

Foxgloves prefer a slightly acidic environment, so conduct a soil test to determine the pH and nutrient levels of your soil.

A pH of 5.5 to 6.5 is ideal. Amend as needed.

Maintain even moisture during the growing season, but do not oversaturate. If it does not rain at least an inch per week, provide supplemental water.

Growing Tips

• Provide slightly acidic soil that is organically rich and drains well.
• Do not cover the tiny seeds; they need light to germinate.
• Space plants 12 to 18 inches to maintain good airflow.

Maintenance

There is a moderate amount of work to do to keep this plant in tip-top shape.

With mature heights of 18 to 60 inches, the stalks are likely to need staking, especially during wind and rain events.

If you don’t want your plants to self-sow, cut fresh stems to bring indoors or deadhead spent stems throughout the growing season.

This is a plant that likes to be kept moist, but not soggy. If it doesn’t rain at least once a week, provide supplemental irrigation.

In the early spring, add a two-inch layer of mulch to aid in water retention during the growing season. You may want to leave it in place during the winter months to help keep the roots warm.

However, if drainage is not good, the mulch may cause water to pool as the ground thaws and freezes, leading to root rot.

Some folks like to apply a well-balanced fertilizer, like a 5-10-5 (NPK), in early spring in the second year. A slow-acting granular product is best. Sprinkle it sparingly on the soil a few inches away from the new growth, and water.

If you are planting in organically-rich soil, fertilizer is not required.

In cooler regions, I do not recommend growing foxglove in containers, as biennials have a tendency to be very sensitive to damp conditions in winter, and pots that thaw and freeze repeatedly are likely to contribute to the rotting of roots.

You can learn more about growing foxglove in containers in this guide. (coming soon!)

Managing Pests and Disease

For the best resistance to insects and infections, use quality purveyors for all your garden needs. Keep your equipment sanitized and your beds and borders tidy.

Be sure the soil drains well to avoid damp conditions that encourage pests like slugs and snails, and soil-borne fungal conditions, such as crown rot.

A preventative measure you can take against pests in the soil is to apply diatomaceous earth at planting time per package instructions.

As for the slimy little guys, handpick them, or set traps.

Space plants 12 to 18 inches or more, and keep the garden free from weeds and plant debris, to promote air circulation between plants and deter aggressive sap-sucking bugs like aphids, mealybugs, and Japanese beetles.

Handpick the bugs, or spray plants with a hose to dislodge them.

If all else fails, treat plants with neem oil, horticultural oil, or insecticidal soap.

Overcrowding creates a breeding ground for fungal and bacterial conditions like powdery mildew and leaf spot, more reasons to provide adequate spacing and keep the weeds down.

Treat fungal outbreaks with foliar applications of fungicides.

As for wildlife, foxglove is one plant rabbits don’t nibble and deer leave alone.

Best Uses

With its impressive heights and blossom-laden stalks, D. purpurea makes a bold architectural statement in the garden.

Because the flowers open from the bottom up, it’s nice to have companion plants in the foreground to cover lower stems that have finished blooming.

Use plants in rear-position foundation plantings, to draw the eye up nondescript walls to pretty windows above.

Pair foxgloves with companions that share their love of moist, organically-rich, slightly acidic soil and partial shade.

Offset the pointed clusters with the round heads of drumstick alliums, feathery plumes of astilbe, or spikes of salvia.

Give it room to naturalize in a cottage garden with flouncy Floribunda roses and ethereal poppies for more contrasts in form and texture.

Let it meander through woodland settings and shady borders, naturalizing with each year’s seed dispersal.

Add it to the cutting garden for a ready supply of robust, attractive stems that last a week or more in a vase.

You’ll enjoy an added benefit when you introduce D. purpurea to the garden, as it’s a magnet for pollinating bees and hummingbirds.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Herbaceous biennial	Flower / Foliage Color:	Cream, pink, purple, red, yellow, white/green
Native to:	Europe, Mediterranean, Canary Islands	Maintenance:	Moderate
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	4-9	Soil Type:	Organically-rich
Bloom Time / Season:	Late spring to summer	Soil pH:	5.5-6.5
Exposure:	Part shade	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Spacing:	12-18 inches	Attracts:	Bees, hummingbirds
Planting Depth:	Surface sow (seeds)	Companion Planting:	Astilbe, allium, Floribunda rose, poppy, salvia
Height:	18-60 inches	Uses:	Beds, borders, cottage gardens, cutting gardens, foundation plantings, naturalize, shade gardens, woodland gardens
Spread:	12-18 inches	Order:	Lamiales
Time to Maturity:	2 years (some cultivars bloom the first year)	Family:	Plantaginaceae
Water Needs:	Moderate	Genus:	Digitalis
Tolerance:	Deer, rabbits	Species:	purpurea
Common Pests:	Aphids, Japanese beetles, mealybugs, slugs, snails	Common Diseases:	Crown rot, leaf spot, powdery mildew

I’ll take you through every step in the process of growing this wonderfully ornamental and tasty plant.

And so you know what lies ahead, here’s what I’ll cover:

What You’ll Learn

Cultivation and History

If dill makes you think of tasty Mediterranean dishes like it does for me, there’s a reason for that.

While its exact origin is not entirely certain, this herb is likely native to the Mediterranean region and western Asia – places where it is widely used in the local cuisine.

These days, it easily naturalizes in other locations with Mediterranean-type climates, such as California.

But it also escapes cultivation and grows like a weed in places with decidedly non-Mediterranean climates, such as the northeastern US.

Growing to a mature height of three to four feet tall on average, this annual plant has branching, hollow stems graced with soft, fern-like leaves.

These feathery leaves are a cool toned, bluish-green hue.

This herb holds its tiny yellow flowers up in a flattened cluster called an umbel, which is about six inches wide.

Although dill looks a lot like fennel, these two aromatic plants are in the same family, but are not as closely related as you might think.

In addition to fennel, dill has many other tasty and fragrant relatives, including caraway, parsley, anise, and cilantro.

These herbs and spices are all members of the Umbellifer (Apiaceae) family, so called because of their umbrella-shaped flower heads.

Dill’s genus name Anethum comes from the Greek word for this plant, which means “strong smelling.”

The English name refers not to its smell, but to its medicinal use.

The word “dill” is thought to have Norse origins, coming from a word that meant to lull or to soothe, referring to its reputation as a stomach soother.

But dill goes back even further in time than the Vikings, having been used as food and medicine for thousands of years.

The name anethum is mentioned in the Bible, and it was used as a flavoring in ancient Egypt, tracing its culinary use at least as far back as 5,000 years ago.

Like its cousin cilantro, both the foliage and the seeds of this plant are used culinarily.

The leaves are used as an herb referred to as dill weed, distinguishing it from its dried fruits, which you’ll find on spice racks labeled as dill seed.

Essential oils are extracted from both the seeds and the leaves, and are used by herbalists for medicinal purposes.

Remember the soothing origins of the English word for this plant?

Its medicinal use has been widespread, to treat gastrointestinal issues in Asian, European, and Native American traditional medicine, and the medicinal properties of various parts of this plant are still being studied today.

Modern research backs up its traditional use as a carminative, to reduce or prevent flatulence.

The essential oil from this herb has antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, and it is even used to help preserve food in industrial food manufacturing.

In addition to culinary and medicinal uses, this plant also has a well-deserved place in ornamental gardens.

Its feathery foliage provides a soft backdrop for garden plants with contrasting textures, and its bright yellow flower heads add a wispy layer of color – both of which are useful in designing one’s own charming little cottage garden.

Propagation

With all those wonderful uses, you’re probably ready to start your own patch of homegrown dill!

There are a couple of things you should know before you get started.

The first is that it is a cool season herb that is hardy to 25°F, and can be grown in USDA Hardiness Zones 2 to 11.

That means it is accessible to most of us North American gardeners, but is best grown in springtime – whenever spring happens to occur in your area!

You can sow seeds as soon as you can work your soil in the spring, provided temperatures don’t fall below 25°F.

The other thing you need to know before you plant this herb in your garden is that although it is an annual, it has a tendency to self-sow.

When seeds from mature plants fall on your garden soil, they are happy to grow into full sized plants next year without any help from you.

So if you plant this herb once, you may not need to plant it again.

This is even the case in my garden in northeast Utah where plants have to contend with extremely dry conditions, harsh wind, sub-zero winter temperatures, and short summers.

Since starting seeds a few years ago, I find volunteer dill plants scattered throughout my garden every year.

I consider this a boon instead of a problem since dill is one of my favorite herbs, and it seems I never have too much.

However, if free dill in future growing seasons doesn’t sound like something you want, I’ll make some recommendations on how to prevent these weedy volunteers a little later.

From Seed

The best way to plant this herb in your garden is to grow it from seed instead of setting out transplants.

This is because it has a long, sensitive taproot, joining a few other garden staples, like carrots and beets, that do not appreciate transplanting.

When dill is transplanted, it tends to immediately bolt – that is, if it doesn’t simply die. So do yourself a favor and go the best route by planting this herb from seed.

When you’re ready to sow your seeds, here’s how to do it:

• Plan to sow your seeds two to three weeks before your last spring frost.
• Prepare your soil by mixing in some compost, even out the surface of the soil, and then wet it down lightly.
• Press the seeds gently into the surface of the soil. Dill seeds need light to germinate, so they should either remain bare on the surface or cover very lightly with soil, about 1/8 of an inch.
• Plant a group of three seeds every four to six inches, in rows spaced 12 inches apart.
• Provide a gentle daily watering until seedlings emerge.

Just so you know, germination can take 10 to 14 days, or sometimes longer.

When the seedlings are a few inches tall, thin out the weaker ones so that there is one plant spaced every four inches.

And don’t forget to eat the thinned seedlings!

If you live in a dry climate like I do, growing your dill plants four inches apart will work great.

However, if you live in a more humid climate, leave six inches between each plant instead.

Providing plants with a little extra room will allow for better air circulation and help prevent disease, while still allowing you to maximize your harvest.

And despite its reputation, this herb is not an aggressive grower, so make sure to remove any weeds around your young seedlings.

How to Grow

Dill is pretty low maintenance as far as herbs go. It gives and gives, and it really doesn’t ask for too much in return.

But if you want it to give you all it’s got, do it a favor and provide it with the best possible growing conditions.

Sun

This herb grows best in a full sun location, with six to eight hours of sunlight per day.

You can still grow dill if you’re working with part shade, but its stems will not be as sturdy, so you may need to stake it.

Another situation where staking can be helpful is if your area is prone to high winds.

In my garden, we frequently receive strong afternoon winds, and so far my dill plants – grown in full sun – have managed to remain upright without staking.

I think since they are trained from a young age to withstand these winds, they develop stronger stems as a result.

So consider your growing conditions and decide whether staking is prudent for your situation or not.

Soil

This herb’s main requirement is well-draining soil, with a slightly acidic pH of 5.6 to 6.5.

If you are starting with clay soil, work some compost into it, or consider growing in a raised bed or in containers.

Apart from requiring good drainage, dill is not very picky and can grow in poor soils, which is why it has such an easy time establishing itself without help from the gardener.

If you aren’t sure what type of soil you have, consider conducting a soil test through your local extension office to find out.

Water

Once established, this herb is fairly drought tolerant. Just make sure established plants receive about an inch of water per week.

And when watering, try to water at the soil level with a watering wand or drip irrigation lines.

Overhead watering, such as with sprinklers, can put your herb at a higher risk of infection since many fungal diseases thrive in wet conditions.

Growing Tips

This herb is pretty easy to grow – any plant that can self-seed so easily must be fairly flexible by nature.

But to help ensure a successful dill crop, here are a few more tips:

• This herb grows best when the soil temperature is about 70°F. Hot summer temps will cause it to bolt.
• Sow seeds every two to three weeks for a steady harvest.
• If growing in containers, make sure your pots are at least 12 inches deep to allow room for their taproots to develop.
• Remove flower heads as they appear, to encourage foliage production; let them grow if you want seeds.
• Avoid growing this herb next to other members of the carrot family, to discourage pests and keep disease from spreading.
• Grow with companion plants such as soybeans, garlic, leeks, and onions.

I mentioned earlier that dill self-seeds from one year to the next quite easily.

If you want to let this herb perpetuate itself, but not wherever it wants to, try sowing it into a dedicated bed and remove any seedlings that pop up elsewhere in your garden.

On the other hand, if you want to prevent self-seeding altogether, cut back flower heads while they are still yellow, to prevent mature seed from forming and potentially escaping into your garden.

These flower heads are extremely fragrant and can be used in cooking or in flower arrangements.

Managing Pests and Disease

Luckily for lovers of this herb, dill tends to attract more friends than foes in the garden.

Deer don’t care for it, and most of the insects that are attracted to it are interested in feeding on the nectar from its flowers, not munching on its leaves.

However, this herb is prone to the same diseases and pests as its close relative caraway – you can learn more about these in our in-depth article on caraway diseases and pests.

There are a few insects you’ll want to look out for as well.

Insects

Generally, dill is more attractive to beneficial insects such as pollinators than problematic ones, making it a good companion to have in the garden.

Since some insects can spread disease, make sure you inspect your plants for the following unwanted pests:

Aphids

Aphids sometimes colonize this herb, and if they do, they can transmit viruses.

Your first defense in keeping an aphid problem in check is to inspect plants regularly.

If you spot aphids on the foliage, wash them off with a strong jet of water from the hose to remove them.

To prevent aphids from setting up camp in your dill patch, work on attracting beneficial insects such as parasitic wasps, green lacewings, hoverflies, and ladybugs, all of which will prey on aphids and help keep populations in check.

Luckily, this herb attracts all of these beneficial insects.

But you’ll want them around before your dill blooms, so make sure you have other pollinator-friendly plants around to provide them with food and shelter throughout the gardening season.

Another way to prevent aphid problems is to use companion plants to repel them.

There are many research studies showing that alliums such as garlic and onions are effective at repelling various types of aphids to protect a wide variety of main crops – ranging from cereal crops in China to tomato crops in Zambia.

If aphids are a concern, try growing alliums with your dill.

Black Swallowtail Caterpillars

This herb is a host plant for black swallowtail caterpillars – which turn into black swallowtail butterflies.

Although it will nibble on your dill, many gardeners do not consider this caterpillar to be a pest.

The caterpillar form has a few different stages – so before you squish any caterpillars you find on this plant, make sure you identify it properly.

Black swallowtails are also attracted to other members of the carrot family. The adult butterflies lay eggs on these plants, and when the eggs hatch, the caterpillars use them as food.

Most gardeners are willing to sacrifice a little dill to these guys if they show up, in exchange for the chance to view them flitting around in their beautiful mature form.

However, if needed, the caterpillars can be relocated. A stand of Queen Anne’s lace, another member of the carrot family, would be a good alternative, providing them appropriate food and shelter.

Root-Knot Nematodes

Root-knot nematodes – not to be confused with beneficial nematodes – also affect carrots, kale, and many other broadleaf plants you may be growing in your garden.

Above-ground signs of these pests can be difficult to recognize – plants may appear stunted, or may wilt for no apparent reason.

Pulling up the plant will reveal knots on the roots, thus the name of this pest.

To manage an existing problem, try solarizing your soil to kill the pests, or giving the problem area a break from veggie growing and instead grow a cover crop of marigolds in the infested area.

Disease

In keeping with its easygoing nature, this herb isn’t particularly prone to disease.

Most diseases can be prevented by making sure you don’t grow these plants in overly wet or humid conditions. Don’t overwater, provide well-drained soil, and allow adequate spacing between plants to encourage airflow.

Generally, gardeners in humid climates are more likely to have problems with disease than those in arid climates.

Here are some of the diseases that can affect this plant:

• Carrot motley dwarf
• Carrot redleaf virus
• Carrot mottle virus
• Cercospora leaf blight
• Damping off
• Downy mildew
• Powdery mildew
• Root rot

To learn more about managing diseases in dill plants, make sure to consult our article on this topic – coming soon!

Harvesting

Hopefully, your dill-growing adventure will take you straight to harvest time with no pest or disease issues. This is usually the case.

When your plants reach maturity, you will have the choice of harvesting either the foliage or the seeds from this aromatic plant – or both!

Dill Weed

Your dill weed harvest can begin as soon as your seedlings are a few inches tall.

Harvesting leaves will encourage the plants to grow bushier and will help to delay flowering – this is important if you’re more interested in leaves than seeds.

Young leaves contain the most aromatic oils and are therefore the tastiest. So don’t wait for them to get bigger, go ahead and harvest the leaves regularly as it grows.

To harvest the leaves, simply pinch the stems off with your fingers – or use a pair of garden scissors.

Just make sure not to defoliate the plant – take no more than a quarter to a third of the leaves from each plant at harvest time.

This herb needs to keep some of its leaves so that it will be able to photosynthesize and continue to grow.

And keep in mind that leaves taste best when they are freshly picked.

So, during the growing season, harvest your herb just before you’re going to use it rather than picking lots at once and storing it in the fridge.

Another good time to harvest is right after flower buds form – that’s when new leaves will be the most aromatic.

At this point you can also cut the flower heads back to encourage your plant to keep producing foliage.

Or, you can let your plant go to seed, in which case it will direct its energy away from foliage production to seed production.

Dill Seeds

If you want to expand your homegrown spice collection, planting dill is an easy way to get started.

Let your plants flower and go to seed, but keep your eye on the flower heads as the seeds develop – when they turn tan colored, it’s time for action.

Cut off the umbel and place it in a paper bag.

As they dry, the seed heads will shatter and drop their seeds. By collecting them in a paper bag, you can maximize the number of seeds collected. If you allow them to dry on the plant, the seeds will drop off and fall onto your garden soil.

Set the paper bag aside in a warm, well-ventilated spot to let the seed head continue drying out.

Alternatively, you can also spread seed heads on a window screen to let them finish drying.

To test if your seeds are dry, try pressing your fingernail into a few of them. If the seeds bend, they are not ready yet. If they break or shatter, that is a sign that they are nice and dry.

When seeds are thoroughly dry, store them in a small spice jar and place it – with pride – on your spice rack.

And you may want to package some to add to your seed collection for sowing next year too!

Preserving

Don’t wash the herbs until you are ready to use them.

You can store fresh leaves in the fridge. Place them in a plastic bag at 32 to 41°F and you can expect your harvest to keep for one to three weeks.

Like basil, dill is at its best when fresh. However, if you want to preserve some for later, drying and freezing are great ways to create a stash for yourself for the cold months when your garden is at rest.

My preferred way to preserve this herb is to mince it, place it in a small ramekin, cover with oil, put the lid on the ramekin, and then store it in the freezer.

I find that dill preserved in this way is nearly as good as when it is enjoyed fresh from the garden – and what a nice surprise it makes when I’m digging through the freezer looking for meal ideas. It can be used in a similar way to pesto, if you want to add some minced garlic and chopped toasted nuts.

You can read more about freezing fresh herbs here.

To dehydrate this herb, wash it first , and use a paper towel to pat the foliage dry. If you have a dehydrator, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for drying herbs.

You can also dry this herb at room temperature or in the oven. Store the dried herb in a cool, dry location in a jar with a lid.

Learn more about drying and storing herbs in our full guide.

Recipes and Cooking Ideas

Although pickles may be the first thing that comes to mind when you start mulling over your options, why not return to its Mediterranean origins for the most enticing cooking ideas?

Dill is one of the star ingredients in the traditional Greek cucumber and yogurt dish, tzatziki. You can find the recipe for a deliciously creamy tzatziki over at our sister site, Foodal.

And to go with your tzatziki, how about pan-fried potatoes sprinkled with dill and minced garlic? That’s another dish that will have you feeling as though you are steps away from turquoise Mediterranean waters.

Or if your culinary daydreams take a wintery turn, you might consider sprinkling it on top of a warming bowl of borscht.

But don’t just stick to the tried and true – this herb is also a welcome ingredient with unexpected pairings.

Fresh dill brightens up the earthier ingredients in this scrumptious recipe on our sister site Foodal for brussels sprouts with bacon and fennel seed.

You can also try using this herb to make a chicken soup feel light and fresh.

And of course, I would be remiss if I didn’t bring this conversation back around to our beloved pickles.

Have you ever made fermented dill pickles from scratch? If not, now’s the time to give it a try. You’ll find a recipe for lacto-fermented garlic dill pickles also on Foodal.

If that sounds great, but a bit too complicated for you at your current energy level, why not enjoy it as a simple herbal tea?

Just boil some hot water, place some fresh dill leaf or a flower head in your mug, and you’ll have your own homemade tummy-soothing infusion to enjoy.

Quick Reference Growing Guide

Plant Type:	Annual, self-sowing	Water Needs:	Moderate
Native to:	Mediterranean, western Asia	Maintenance:	Low
Hardiness (USDA Zone):	2-11	Soil Type:	Average to poor
Season:	Summer-fall	Soil pH:	5.6-6.5
Exposure:	Full sun	Soil Drainage:	Well-draining
Time to Maturity:	40-90 days	Companion Planting:	Garlic, onions, leeks, soybeans
Spacing:	4-6 inches	Avoid Planting With:	Carrots, fennel, caraway, cumin
Planting Depth:	1/8 inch, surface	Attracts:	Bees, parasitic wasps, green lacewings, hoverflies, ladybugs, black swallowtail butterflies
Height:	8-48 inches	Family:	Apiaceae
Spread:	4-24 inches	Genus:	Anethum
Tolerance:	Light frost	Species::	graveolens
Common Pests:	Aphids, armyworms, chalcid flies, cutworms, root knot nematodes	Common Disease:	Carrot motley dwarf, carrot redleaf virus, carrot mottle virus, cercospora leaf blight, damping off, downy mildew, powdery mildew, root rot

A Soothing Seasoning

Well, gardener, now that you have completed your education in all things dill, you could probably use a mug of that soothing and refreshing dill tea right about now. I know I’m ready for one!

Do you have any of your own dill-growing tips or recipes to share? If so, please let us know in the comments below!

And for more information about growing your own herbs and spices, check out some of dill’s fragrant relatives next:

From covering the surface of the tree to consuming its tissues outright, a pest will take advantage of a dogwood’s vulnerability and leave the tree looking damaged or sick.

“But how do I prevent this?” “How can I deal with an infestation-in-progress?” “Is all hope for my dogwoods lost?”

The hows of pest prevention and management are covered in this guide. As for the hope?

After absorbing the info provided here, you’ll be well-equipped to give your dogwoods a fighting chance, I can promise you that.

Here are those pesky foes that you’ll learn about up ahead:

Before we begin, it’s important to reiterate that a healthy dogwood is more resilient against pests than an unhealthy one.

Therefore, you should strive to cultivate and care for your dogwoods as healthfully as possible. For a reduced risk of infestation, try your darndest to give a dogwood exactly what it requires for optimal health.

An added plus of preventing pests? They can’t vector diseases that could harm your dogwoods. Talk about a two-for-one!

1. Dogwood Borers

When we talk about dogwood borers, we’re referring to the larval form of Synanthedon scitula.

Entering the tree through wounds or other bark openings, the larvae leave sawdust-esque frass in their wake as they feed on the inner bark and cambium.

This feeding can leave the tree in dire straits: leaves can redden and prematurely drop, bark near the borers’ entry points sheds off, and branches often die as the cambium is destroyed.

Young trees can perish within a season or two, while more mature trees can survive, albeit with rough knots and reduced vigor.

These larvae are a bit over half an inch long, with a reddish-brown head and a whitish to cream-colored body.

The clear-winged, wasp-like adult moths come in at half an inch in length, with a yellow-banded and blueish-black body.

Over a several-month period from spring to fall, the female adults lay eggs on the bark, which sets the stage for the larvae to hatch, enter the tree through its openings, feed, overwinter in their feeding tunnels, and then feed again before they pupate.

Proper cultivation and wound avoidance will help prevent infestations of these pests.

For management of a current infestation, prune away affected branches in late winter, when the moths are inactive.

You can also insert a skinny wire into the borers’ feeding tunnels, which will crush them.

For more drastic control, you can spray permethrin on the trunk, root collar, primary branches, and bark wounds. Begin in early May, and reapply every three weeks up to four times.

Dead trees should be excavated and pitched. Feel free to try again with hybrid crosses of C. florida and C. kousa from the Stellar series, which are highly resistant to dogwood borers.

2. Dogwood Club Gall Midges

Resseliella clavula is a small, yet significant foe of the dogwood.

The adult fly, about a sixteenth of an inch long, lays eggs within a dogwood’s tiny terminal foliage in late spring.

Upon hatching, the orange larvae consume their way through shoots, and tubular, swollen galls form in response along stems or at stem tips.

Beyond the gall on a shoot, stem tissue can die, while leaves can wilt and warp. With a large midge infestation, a tree can be left deformed.

Management-wise, your best bet is to prune away and destroy any infested shoots several inches below the gall.

3. Dogwood Sawflies

Just like with the above-described pests, the danger of a Macremphytus tarsatus lies in its young.

Emerging in late spring, the slender black adults lay up to a hundred eggs in a single leaf, inserting them next to the leaf veins in rows of small brown bumps.

The color of the caterpillars that hatch out varies, depending on their developmental stage.

First-instar caterpillars are small and translucent yellow, second-instar caterpillars are coated with a white wax, and final-instar caterpillars are a black-spotted yellow.

As you’ve probably gleaned from Eric Carle’s “The Very Hungry Caterpillar,” larvae such as these will eat a lot of leaf tissue, often to the point of significant defoliation.

After they’ve molted into their final larval stage, the caterpillars will cease eating and burrow into wood for overwintering before they emerge as adult sawflies come spring.

The visibly segmented larva measures up to an inch long, with a brown head and pale yellow body.

In late spring, the adults chew twin lines of holes around the tips of newly-grown stems, and lay an elongated egg in between the girdled rings.

Upon hatching, the larvae bore their way further into the stems, leaving a series of holes running down the stem’s side as they feed.

This feeding wilts and kills the foliage above the tunneling, and the stem can even break off at points where the larvae girdle the stem from the inside.

Come spring, after overwintering in the hollowed-out stems, the larvae either continue to feed for another year or pupate into the adult stage. By late spring, the adults emerge, and the cycle continues.

Sprays of a pyrethroid insecticide in late spring can prevent these pests from laying eggs, while stems that have been tunneled into should be pruned in early summer when you notice the resultant leaf wilt.

Make your pruning cuts below the larva’s current location within the twig, and burn your pruned twigs to prevent a twig borer comeback.

5. Flatheaded Appletree Borers

Upon first seeing what Chrysobothris femorata looks like, I was reminded of the infamous chestbursters from the “Alien” franchise.

With a tannish-white, segmented body and a relatively wide thorax below its black head, this pest can tunnel its way through a dogwood’s tissues like a Xenomorph larva through Executive Officer Kane.

After the sunflower seed-esque adult beetles lay their eggs in the tree’s bark throughout the summer, the larvae emerge from the eggs and eat their way through the bark and cambium, creating galleries that girdle the tree and disrupt vascular tissues.

Infestation symptoms manifest as foliar wilt and necrosis, branch dieback, and darkened bark that secretes a nasty white liquid.

Additionally, the feeding tunnels within the tree can become sunken and apparent, and the bark above can die and fall away.

Small young trees can easily die from an infestation of these pests, the health and appearance of more mature trees can take a hit, and afflicted specimens can be left especially vulnerable to pathogens.

These pests are particularly fond of unhealthy trees, so it’s extra important to cultivate your dogwoods properly and protect them from injury.

Be sure to prune dead and damaged branches, which are potential entry points for the pests.

Wrapping dogwood trunks with a protective covering from March to September can deter egg-laying.

Many materials work, such as mosquito netting, fine-mesh hardware cloth, and even layered newspaper!

Upon noticing the adult beetles, spraying the trunk and major branches with a pyrethroid insecticide can be helpful.

This will control the adults but not the burrowing larvae, so it pays to strike fast.

For heavily-infested trees, a prompt removal and burning is in order. It may be tragic, but at least any of the infesting pests will be killed as well.

6. Vertebrates

A plant that draws wildlife into your garden isn’t always a bad thing, as a population of diverse species can indicate a healthy ecosystem.

However, if said wildlife munches on foliage, or consumes fruit that you yourself intended to harvest, then that’s when you should consider taking action.

A variety of critters can feast on dogwoods.

Foxes, mice, skunks, chipmunks, black bears, songbirds, turkeys, beavers, deer, and rabbits consume the fruits, while the latter three also browse the leaves and young sprouts.

While managing creepy-crawly pests is usually a cold-blooded and murderous practice, it’s important to try to control most higher forms of life with a bit of empathy, via nonlethal methods.

Treating your backyard like it’s open season can land you in legal trouble if you harm any protected species, not to mention turn your stomach.

Birds are best managed via scare tactics that are cycled through weekly, so they don’t grow wise to your tricks.

Reflective surfaces, balloons with eyes drawn on them, scarecrows, rubber snakes, and fake birds of prey – visually, you have plenty of options.

Sound-wise, loud noises are the key, whether it’s with wind chimes, banging pots and pans together, or even something higher-tech like a noise machine.

You’ll need some physical deterrents for the non-fliers, though.

Small mammals like squirrels, beavers, and foxes typically require protection via a per-planting perimeter of ultra-fine chicken wire or flimsy hardware cloth, buried a couple inches below the surface to deter tunneling.

Larger mammals such as deer and black bears need larger, potentially electrified fencing around your entire property.

For any of the aforementioned critters, you can always supplement piecemeal with some species-specific repellents, depending on which particular ones plague your dogwoods.

7. Scale Insects

A variety of scale insects can infest your dogwoods, such as armored oystershell scale and brown soft scale. Scale vary in color, and are small, oval-shaped pests with no visible legs.

Soft scale possess a thick, waxy coating, measuring an eighth- to a quarter-inch long.

With a smooth, cottony, or waxy coating, these pests excrete honeydew: a damaging, ugly, and ant-attracting substrate for sooty mold.

Armored scale species are smaller, coming in at less than an eighth of an inch long. Flaunting their trademark hardened shells, these pests lack the honeydew excretion of their soft relatives, thankfully.

With populations that can rapidly grow after a couple seasons, scale insects feed on the sap that they extract with their piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Infested dogwoods can suffer with chlorotic and prematurely-dropped leaves, heavily-infested shoots can perish, and the entire tree’s growth rate can significantly slow.

If small, isolated portions of the tree’s structure are densely packed with these pests, prune them away. Additionally, you can prune within the canopy to increase the penetration of hot sunlight.

Physically, you can spray the tree with strong bursts of water, or manually scrape away small pest infestations with a butter knife.

Thorough springtime applications of horticultural or neem oil, both before bud break and after flowering, can kill adults and eggs alike.

Parasitic wasps and ladybugs are effective predators of scale, and adding store-bought reinforcements to the already-present ones in your landscape can be a smart move.

But not always, as introducing non-native species – ladybugs in particular – can be harmful.

Learn more about scale insects and how to deal with them in our guide.

Collaborative post

Buying Turkish real estate is a profitable investment option for foreigners, and an opportunity to find a second home on the coast of the warm Mediterranean Sea, whether it is buying real estate in Alanya, Izmir, Istanbul or any other area of the country.

As with any property purchase, it’s important to approach each stage with care. The first thing to do is to choose the right apartment, carefully studying not only the advantages, but also the disadvantages. One useful question to ask is when is it better to buy property in Turkey. Is there a concept of “seasonality” in the housing market, and does this factor affect the value of real estate?

Seasonality for real estate in Turkey

The concept of “seasonality” is inherent in most areas of the sales industry. There are certain periods when purchasing activity falls and, as a result, production volumes and the cost of goods decreases.

However, the Turkish resort real estate market is in many ways atypical, since the price tag for properties doesn’t really change throughout the year. However, the number of presented apartments and houses may increase or decrease, depending on the season.

Spring and autumn are favourable times for buying property in Turkey. It is during this period that Turkish resorts experience warm, mild, sunny weather. Therefore, foreign investors have the opportunity to come on a sightseeing tour, get to know the city and its districts, and choose suitable housing. In addition, in the autumn and spring season, many construction companies and private owners put properties up for sale.

A trip to Turkey at this time is also beneficial in terms of ticket prices. Getting to the popular Mediterranean resorts is very simple and cheap when compared to the holiday season, which traditionally lasts from May to October.

Holiday season is not the best time to choose secondary housing. Many owners, even if they have already decided to sell, rent their property short-term or use it themselves. This means that organising a viewing of the apartment can be more difficult.

For buyers planning to buy an apartment or villa from a developer, seasonality does not matter when conducting an introductory tour. Your decision to choose real estate in the summer will only be affected by hot weather. It’s one thing to sunbathe on the beach and swim in the warm sea, and quite another to drive around construction sites looking at different options.

Does the season affect the price?

Most buyers are interested in timings on property sales season in Turkey for one reason: the opportunity to purchase a property at the best possible price.

It should be noted that in the Turkish real estate market, it is really difficult to determine the time interval when apartments will cost the least. This is due to the high demand from local and foreign buyers, and the constant replenishment of the catalogues of real estate agencies with fresh offers from developers and owners. Competition between developers who are trying to attract potential buyers with optimal conditions for concluding a sale contributes to balancing prices.

As we have already noted, seasonality in Turkey affects the availability of a variety of housing choices, and not the price tag. The cost of properties is primarily influenced by such factors as the national currency rate, inflation, mortgage lending rate, economic and political crises, land prices, and building materials.

Real estate in Alanya

Alanya is a resort town on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. Over the past 20-30 years, the city has transformed from a modest provincial town into a tourist mecca.

This Turkish resort town is popular due to its picturesque beaches, developed infrastructure, historical sites and relatively low prices. Luxurious apartments and villas are spread along the entire coast.

Real estate in Alanya attracts investors from all over the world, thanks to its price and location. The climate in Alanya is great in terms of living and renting out.

The cost of housing here is much cheaper than in neighbouring Antalya. And if you look at real estate in the numerous villages along the coast, you can find excellent housing at prices that most resorts in the world cannot compete with. A comfortable temperature in winter and a hot summer, with mountains and forests nearby, make buying property by the sea in Alanya a great option.

Real estate in Turkey

The Turk.Estate website offers real estate in different regions of Turkey. Once you’ve decided on your budget and housing preferences, head over to the website and start your search for a home in sunny Turkey today.